By Nick Georgandis

Rafael Nadal's knee might be keeping him from playing a whole lot of tennis these days, but it's not keeping him from stepping out with his home country's royalty.

Currently ranked No. 3 in the world, Nadal dined with Spain's King Juan Carlos last week in the Balearic Islands, of which Nadal's homeland of Mallorca is one.

It is Nadal's second meeting with the king in recent weeks. Juan Carlos addressed Spanish Olympians earlier this summer. Nadal was originally supposed to carry the Spanish flag in the opening ceremonies, but he was forced to withdraw from the competition due to his knee injury and the honor went to basketball player Pau Gasol, whose squad wound up winning the silver medal.

The 74-year-old Juan Carlos has been Spain's king since 1975 when dictator Fransico Franco died. He himself is a former Olympian, competing in sailing in the 1972 summer games in Munich.

(via)