Rafael Nadal left passengers terrified with his helicopter pilot prank (Image: PokerStars)
As the gets underway, one familiar face won’t be there. retired at the end of 2024, meaning his days of competing at the Majors are over.
The former world No. 1 will need to find new ways to stay busy away from the tennis court, something he learned to do during several injury layoffs over his career.
During one stint away from the court, he even played a cruel prank on some unsuspecting passengers to promote an unusual showdown with Brazilian football icon Ronaldo.
A decade ago, Nadal found himself sidelined by a wrist injury. To pass the time, he planned a blockbuster poker game with Ronaldo.
And the 22-time Major winner found a very unusual way to promote their showdown, proving he had a good poker face by playing a cruel prank on some helicopter riders.
In the PokerStars video, Nadal bluffs some unsuspecting passengers, first pretending to be their captain before trying to convince them everything is fine when trouble strikes before they can even take off.
The former world No. 1 attempted to start the engine with no luck. Someone in the back seat had to reassure his partner that there was “nothing wrong”.
Rafael Nadal beat Ronaldo in a poker showdown in London (Image: Getty)
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But things went from bad to worse. Nadal then asked some of the riders to hand him the instruction manual, all the while keeping his poker face on and remaining calm. “This is always done for safety,” he reassured them.
With an alarm blaring, Nadal also told his passengers where they’d be going, talking through their route over the mountains. And, for the final touch in his cruel prank, smoke started to fill the cabin when he was finally ready to take off.
The terrified riders had enough, racing out of the helicopter while the Spanish tennis ace told them to stay calm. He eventually gave up the game, leaving the cabin.
After testing out his poker face in the helicopter, Nadal put it to good use in his game against Ronaldo, soundly beating the Brazilian when they faced off in London. He earned £40k for his Foundation charity.
“The strategies should always be an important part of the sport,” Nadal said after his big win. Meanwhile, Ronaldo was left to do a forfeit – washing up 400 dirty dishes.
Although Nadal has yet to return to poker since retiring from tennis, he has been enjoying another sport. The 38-year-old is an avid golfer with a scratch handicap and he’s already been playing some amateur events in Mallorca.
He finished in the top-10 at the Q-Romia Hexagonal Circuit days after hanging up his racket at the Davis Cup Finals.