Rafael Nadal mentioned that he extended an offer to Andy Murray, allowing him to use his yacht for relaxation as the Scottish tennis player continues his journey to recovery from injury.
Murray is competing in the Rafa Nadal Open in Mallorca, Spain, his third singles tournament of the year since undergoing major hip surgery in January 2019.
On Tuesday, he beat the No. 3 seed, Norbert Gombos, 6-3, 6-4, his first win against a top-150 player this year, to set up a third-round match with Matteo Viola.
Andy Murray had Wednesday afternoon to relax, however, and Nadal, who eased passed the Australian John Millman in the first round of the US Open that day, says he texted his friend to see if he wanted to use his boat.
“I just texted him when I knew that he was going to play at the academy,” Nadal told reporters after beating Millman, according to Sky Sports.
Nadal, a yacht super-fan, recently bought a custom 80-foot luxury yacht that boasts a spa pool and a wet bar. Though that’s not set to be delivered until 2020, he’s known to climb aboard his other million-dollar vessels, go on vacation, and live on the sea. And now he’s offered that lifestyle to Murray.
“I just texted him a couple days ago saying, ‘If you need anything, just let me know. If you want to go out with the boat or anything, I can help you, just let me know,'” Nadal said.
Nadal also revealed his delight at seeing Murray back on the court, especially at his own challenger tournament in his hometown of Manacor in Mallorca.
“I’m very happy to have Andy Murray playing there,” he said, according to USA Today. “That’s great news for us, of course, but for him and the world of sport, to have him back on the tennis court is great news. I wish him all the very best.”
Nadal and Murray’s close relationship goes back a long way. Murray’s mother, Judy Murray, told the Tennis Channel last year that they had been friends since they were 15 and 16.
“The two of them are great friends,” she said. “They play this thing called ‘FIFA Championship Manager’ across continents with each other.
“It’s one of those things where you come in, and Andy’s sitting on the sofa, and you think he’s talking to himself, and he’s got this tablet or whatever in front of him, and you go, ‘Who’re you talking to?’ ‘Rafa.'”
On Thursday, Nadal takes on Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the US Open, while Murray faces Matteo Viola in Mallorca.
