Rafael Nadal reveals Andy Murray text after Arsenal beat Real Madrid in UEFA Champions League quarter-finals - 'This British sense of humour'
Published 25/05/2025 at 23:14 GMT+1
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While the focus was on Rafael Nadal's tennis legacy at a memorable Roland-Garros farewell ceremony, the Spaniard spared a moment in his press conference to reveal a text exchange with Andy Murray after Arsenal played Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Nadal also reflected on his rivalry with Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Nadal reveals cheeky Arsenal v Real Madrid text from Murray
Video credit: TNT Sports
Rafael Nadal has revealed a text he received from Andy Murray after Arsenal beat Real Madrid in this season's UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
Murray, who recently ended a short spell as Novak Djokovic's coach, is an Arsenal supporter, while Nadal is a loyal Madridista.
And Murray was keen to message his former rival when The Gunners ran out 5-1 aggregate winners against the 15-time European champions.
"My good friend Andy, we were not in touch for a while," Nadal said in a press conference after his emotional French Open farewell ceremony at Roland-Garros.
"The day that Arsenal beat Real Madrid, when the match just finished, after one second, he text me a message, telling me, 'Hey, Rafa, haven't spoken to you in a while. Just checking in to make sure you are okay.'
"So honestly, [it] takes me like five seconds to realise what I was reading, because at the beginning, I said, 'Okay, he's such a nice guy. He's asking about how I'm doing, family.'
"After five seconds, I said, 'This British sense of humour.' By the way, I didn't text him back when PSG beat Arsenal."
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Watch as Nadal basks in spine-tingling standing ovation at French Open
Video credit: TNT Sports
Murray attended the Roland-Garros ceremony, alongside Djokovic and Roger Federer, and Nadal said he was happy to see his ex-opponents.
"They represent a very important part of my tennis career, because in some way we pushed each other to the limits, as I said in my speech. And that's the truth," Nadal said.
"I think I always say the same, because we were three, four of the best rivals. In some way when you are only two, you can lose a little bit the motivation in some way sometimes because the other starts losing or gets injured.
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"But here, being four, you never had to imagine, because always one of that four was winning the tournament.
"So that, to put in perspective, never allowed us to stay relaxed or to give us the break in terms of intensity, in terms of the determination to keep improving our game.
"So I think within us, we show us the way to follow to be better and better. We achieved our dreams.
"Probably because of that kind of rivalry, we raise the numbers of the history of tennis to the next level. That helps to the next generations to try to improve them. And I'm sure that's going to happen."
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