Manchester City star Rodri has had a lot of free time on his hands recently.
Back in September, Rodri suffered a season-ending injury during City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
Since then, Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or after his impressive previous season where he helped Pep Guardiola’s side win their fourth consecutive Premier League trophy, as well as Spain win the 2024 European Championship.
Another Spanish sports star who will now also have a lot of free time on his hands is Rafael Nadal, who recently announced his retirement from tennis.
After Spain lost to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup on Tuesday in his final match, the 38-year-old was commemorated by a range of current and former sports stars in a special video. In it, Rodri shared a message for his fellow countryman.
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Rodri sends emotional messages to Rafael Nadal after retirement announcement
A recent post shared on the Tennis Channel X account saw Nadal react to a video which contained various sporting figures sharing their well wishes to him following his retirement from professional tennis.
In addition to the likes of Andres Iniesta and David Beckham sharing their individual messages for the Spaniard, Rodri shared these comments about the former tennis star.
He said: “Rafael Nadal. I can’t think of anyone else who better represents the values of sport and life. Thank you for filling our hearts with your tennis, with your comebacks.”
Rodri and Nadal are two of Spain’s biggest achievers
Across his 23-year career, Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles in total, leaving only Serena Williams (23), Novak Djokovic (24) and Margaret Court (24) with more.
| Rafael Nadal | French Open | US Open | Australian Open | Wimbledon |
| Grand Slams won | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
In comparison, Rodri has lifted his fair share of silverware throughout his club career as well as winning the Euros and the Nations League with Spain in recent memory.
| Rodri | Premier League | Champions League | FA Cup | Carabao Cup | UEFA SuperCup | FIFA Club World Cup |
| Trophies Won | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Taking all of that on board, it’s safe to say that Nadal and Rodri are two of Spain’s biggest achievers in their respective sports.
While Nadal has now brought an end to his illustrious career, everyone at City will be hoping that Rodri will be able to make a full recovery from his knee injury and get back to winning more silverware with his club.
