Did 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal secretly date singer Shakira in 2009?

22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal kicked off his US Open 2022 campaign on Tuesday night with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Rinky Hijikata. He seeks his 23rd major title win, alongside the 3rd Grand Slam title of the year which makes him one of the most exciting players to watch out for during the final Grand Slam tournament of the year. Meanwhile, Nadal also finds himself in the headlines for his secret relationship with world-famous pop star Shakira.

As reported by Spanish paparazzo Jordi Martin, the singer and the tennis player started dating back in 2009, when they met up for the video shoot of Shakira’s track Gypsy. The song is widely hailed as one of the best works by Shakira, which also featured Nadal. The duo was seen exchanging sensual looks and laughter in the video.

As per Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the paparazzo further revealed that the pair was involved in an intense love affair when the video was shot. While reports back then claimed Shakira was dating Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, Nadal was said to be romancing his schoolmate Mary Perello. The rumors have certainly got the fan bases of both superstars talking about their secret relationship.

Rafael Nadal fully focused on US Open 2022 despite rumours and speculations

With a first-round win, Nadal advanced to the second round of US Open 2022, where he is due to face Fabio Fogini of Mexico on Thursday. If he wins the next two rounds, he might be up against UK’s Cameron Norrie in the quarter-final before facing his fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final. He could possibly meet World No. 1, Daniil Medvedev, in the final.

It is pertinent to mention that this is the first US Open appearance for Nadal since 2019. He has already claimed the Australian Open 2022 and French Open 2022 titles in the season and is now eyeing his third Grand Slam of the year. Earlier in July, Nadal suffered a chronic abdominal injury, which forced him out of action for over a month.

However, he is now back in action and it remains to be seen how far he goes in the US Open.