Rafael Nadal says he texted his friend Andy Murray to see if he wanted to use his yacht while competing in Mallorca
- Rafael Nadal says he offered his friend Andy Murray the use of his boat to help him relax as the Scot continues his road back from hip surgery in Mallorca.
- Murray is currently playing in the Rafa Nadal Open in Spain, whilst Nadal is competing at the US Open.
- "I'm very happy to have Andy Murray playing there," Nadal said, according to Sky Sports. "It's great news and I wish him the very best."
- Nadal and Murray have been friends since they were teenagers, and still play FIFA together online, says Andy's mother, Judy.
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Rafael Nadal says he offered Andy Murray the use of his yacht to relax while the Scotsman continues his road back from injury.
Murray is currently competing in the Rafa Nadal Open in Mallorca, which is only his third singles tournament of the year after undergoing major hip surgery in January.
The Scotsman beat third seed Norman Gombas 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday, his first win against a top-150 player this year, to set up a third round tie with Matteo Viola.
Murray had Wednesday afternoon to relax however, and Nadal, who eased past Australian John Millman in the first round of the 2019 US Open on Wednesday, says he text 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, Sky Sports reports.
Nadal, a yacht super-fan, recently bought a custom 80-foot luxury yacht that boasts a spa pool and a wet bar. Though it will not be delivered until 2020, he is 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 also revealed his delight at seeing Murray back on the court, especially at his own challenger tournament in his home town of Manacor in Mallorca.
"I'm very happy to have Andy Murray playing there," he said. "It's great news for us, of course, but for him and for the world of sport that's great news and I wish him the very best."
Nadal and Murray's close relationship goes back a long way.
Judy Murray, Andy's mother, told the Tennis Channel last year that the two have been friends since as young as 15.
"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 when you come in and Andy's on the sofa, and you think he's talking to himself, and you go 'Who are you talking to?', and he'll go 'Rafa'."
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Nadal is next in action Friday when he takes on Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the US Open.
Murray, meanwhile, faces Matteo Viola in Mallorca on Thursday.