Embarrassing moment the world’s best tennis player Rafael Nadal is stopped and asked for ID by an overzealous security guard at the Australian Open
- Rafael Nadal was stopped by security at the Australian Open on Wednesday
- The World No.1 player was asked to show proper identification at the door
- Roger Federer was famously blocked from entering the venue at last year’s Open
He may be the number one tennis player in the world, but Rafael Nadal still has to abide by the rules.
The Spanish tennis star was stopped by security at the Australian Open on Wednesday for not having proper identification.
The 33-year-old was seen trying to enter the venue at Melbourne Park when an overzealous guard stopped him in his tracks.
The guard appeared to gesture that Nadal is not wearing accreditation, before another nearby security guard intervened.
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal was stopped by security at the Australian Open on Wednesday for not having proper identification
The guard appears to gesture that Nadal is not wearing accreditation, before another nearby security guard intervenes.
Nadal, wearing a blue baseball cap and a towel over his shoulder, appearred calm and pointed towards the corridor, to presumably indicate where he was headed.
The guard then briefly consulted with his colleague before they both allowed the Spaniard to head inside.
Footage of the hilarious moment was shared on social media, where many poked fun at the security guard, but praised him for doing his job.
‘Doesn’t look like he realised who he was,’ one person commented.
‘Just doing his job. Good on him,’ said another.
Another user suggested Nadal’s getup may have prompted the guard to be extra cautious.
Roger Federer was given the same treatment last year when he was famously blocked from getting into the locker room at the 2019 Australian Open
‘Got to be sure though with a hat, could be a disguised lookalike,’ he said.
The gaffe comes after fellow tennis star Roger Federer was given the same treatment last year.
The Swiss tennis champ was famously blocked from getting into the locker room at the 2019 Australian Open after he did not have his player accreditation.
Similar to Nadal, Federer did not put up a fight, but instead waited for his entourage to come by and give him the all-clear.
Earlier in the tournament, Maria Sharapova was also seen being asked for her credentials.
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning match point during his Men’s Singles fourth round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia on January 27