Nadal had not taken part in the SW19 tournament since 2019 having experienced a recurring foot injury for which he received special treatment before taking part in this year’s Wimbledon. Currently ranked 4th in the world, Nadal has earned his place in the Tennis Hall of Fame. And it seems the 36-year-old has had to make some sacrifices to achieve such success, including turning down a rare invitation from Queen Elizabeth II. In 2010, Nadal admitted that he turned down the chance to meet the Queen because he wanted to focus on his second round match at Wimbledon. READ MORE: Guests follow strict rules in Wimbledon’s exclusive and luxurious Royal Box He had been invited to spend time with Her Majesty during her rare visit to the All England Club. The Queen has shown little interest in tennis, having only attended Wimbledon four times, with the occasion marking her fourth and final visit to the club – also the first time she had attended since 1977. Despite being offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Nadal decided it was too risky to disrupt his pre-match routine ahead of a battle with Dutchman Robin Haas. He was worried that he would have too little time left to prepare for the clash – which was scheduled to be the last match of the day – if he met the monarch and played the matches. “I had to practice at that time, so it was impossible to meet her at that time.” The tennis star had hoped the Queen would stay to watch his match, but the then 86-year-old Sovereign left after watching Britain’s Andy Murray win. Nadal said: “Seriously, I thought the queen would be at my match and I would love to have the chance to meet her after the match. But it wasn’t possible because I think the queen left before. “For me it was disappointing. I was excited to meet her, but it was a very important match for me as well.” He was adamant that his absence at lunchtime was not disrespectful to the Queen as he had to “do what I think is best to win the match”. He appeared to make the right decision as the Spaniard emerged victorious from his battle with Robin Haas. Nadal then advanced to the third and fourth rounds, defeating Germany’s Philipp Petzschner and France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu. He secured his place in the semi-finals when he won his quarter-final match against Sweden’s Robin Söderling and advanced to the finals after defeating Andy Murray. And, days later, Nadal claimed his second Wimbledon victory when he defeated Czech Tomáš Berdych 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 in the final. Now set to play in the semi-finals of this year’s tournament, she could potentially play ahead of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, who took over as Royal Patron of the All England Club in 2016. The Duchess is a keen tennis player and supporter, often spotted in the Royal Box on Center Court. On Tuesday, she and her husband Prince William made their first Championship appearance to watch Cameron Norrie boost hopes of a British victory. As Royal Patron, Kate is expected to present the winners’ trophies at the end of the week.

title: “Rafael Nadal Snubs Queen After Monarch Turns Down Rare Invitation Basilica News " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-26” author: “Edward Ginsberg”

Nadal had not taken part in the SW19 tournament since 2019 having experienced a recurring foot injury for which he received special treatment before taking part in this year’s Wimbledon. Currently ranked 4th in the world, Nadal has earned his place in the Tennis Hall of Fame. And it seems the 36-year-old has had to make some sacrifices to achieve such success, including turning down a rare invitation from Queen Elizabeth II. In 2010, Nadal admitted that he turned down the chance to meet the Queen because he wanted to focus on his second round match at Wimbledon. READ MORE: Guests follow strict rules in Wimbledon’s exclusive and luxurious Royal Box He had been invited to spend time with Her Majesty during her rare visit to the All England Club. The Queen has shown little interest in tennis, having only attended Wimbledon four times, with the occasion marking her fourth and final visit to the club – also the first time she had attended since 1977. Despite being offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Nadal decided it was too risky to disrupt his pre-match routine ahead of a battle with Dutchman Robin Haas. He was worried that he would have too little time left to prepare for the clash – which was scheduled to be the last match of the day – if he met the monarch and played the matches. “I had to practice at that time, so it was impossible to meet her at that time.” The tennis star had hoped the Queen would stay to watch his match, but the then 86-year-old Sovereign left after watching Britain’s Andy Murray win. Nadal said: “Seriously, I thought the queen would be at my match and I would love to have the chance to meet her after the match. But it wasn’t possible because I think the queen left before. “For me it was disappointing. I was excited to meet her, but it was a very important match for me as well.” He was adamant that his absence at lunchtime was not disrespectful to the Queen as he had to “do what I think is best to win the match”. He appeared to make the right decision as the Spaniard emerged victorious from his battle with Robin Haas. Nadal then advanced to the third and fourth rounds, defeating Germany’s Philipp Petzschner and France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu. He secured his place in the semi-finals when he won his quarter-final match against Sweden’s Robin Söderling and advanced to the finals after defeating Andy Murray. And, days later, Nadal claimed his second Wimbledon victory when he defeated Czech Tomáš Berdych 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 in the final. Now set to play in the semi-finals of this year’s tournament, she could potentially play ahead of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, who took over as Royal Patron of the All England Club in 2016. The Duchess is a keen tennis player and supporter, often spotted in the Royal Box on Center Court. On Tuesday, she and her husband Prince William made their first Championship appearance to watch Cameron Norrie boost hopes of a British victory. As Royal Patron, Kate is expected to present the winners’ trophies at the end of the week.