Watch: Nadal's Displays Mad Footie Skills on Monte-Carlo Practice Courts

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Watch: Nadal's Displays Mad Footie Skills on Monte-Carlo Practice Courts

Rafael Nadal demonstrates his mad footie skills while practicing ahead of this year’s Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. He keeps that tennis ball moving without touching the clay with ease—quite impressive.

Nadal is the biggest legend that Monte-Carlo has ever seen (he won 46 consecutive matches in the Principality from 2005 to 2013, a feat that surely will never be topped), but the eight-time champion has not won the title here since 2012, and he’s still without a title in 2016.

47 of Nadal’s 67 career titles have come on the clay, however, and Nadal says he’s happy to be back to a place that has special meaning to him. “A lot of years playing here,” said Nadal in a pre-match interview. “It’s probably the highest emotions that I had in my career are here, so just happy always to be back to practice and compete here. This place is unbelievable, so just enjoying every single moment.”

Nadal, who is in Andy Murray’s half of the draw, will face Great Britain’s Aljaz Bedene on Wednesday, and could face Dominic Thiem in the third round.

“It’s always a great feeling to come back to places that I had a lot of success in the past,” said Nadal. “They give me positive feelings, positive energy, and it’s an important clay season for me. I hope to be ready for it.”