Before Gerard Pique, did Shakira have a secret affair with tennis great Rafael Nadal? Details here

Since the announcement of their separation, iconic Colombian singer Shakira and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique have hogged the spotlight of tabloids. Recently, the Spanish footballer has grabbed all the media attention due to his new relationship with Clara Chia Marti, but now it is the 'Waka Waka' singer doing the media rounds due to an alleged secret relationship with tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

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Before meeting Pique, Shakira reportedly had a secret relationship with Rafael Nadal, according to Jordi Martin, the Spanish paparazzi who leaked the images of the Barcelona star and his new lady love Clara Chia Marti. "I can say that Shakira made a video clip with Alejandro Sanz, but she did not get involved with him," Martin explained to America Noticias. "She got involved with someone equally or more famous."

While Martin refused to give the name when the show's presenter pleaded with him, he gave a reasonably illuminating hint. "He is a world-renowned person and a top sportsman. He's not a footballer. He's a tennis player," he said.

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Martin mentioned that the tennis player was the star of the popular Shakira video 'Gitana', released in 2010, the year the alleged relationship would have occurred. The music video, with over 135 million views on YouTube, was released on February 26 that year. "I say that there was something in a video clip with a top athlete in Spain, among the three best athletes in the history of the country," Martin continued. "That's where I leave it. I can't name names."

Watch: Shakira and Nadal's sizzling chemistry in 'Gitana'

The presenter continued to insist that the Spanish paparazzi Jordi Martin drop Nadal's name with a leading question as to whether the person in question had won the most Grand Slam titles in history. Yes, he said in answer.

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In 2010, Nadal bagged seven calendar titles, including the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. The Spaniard became the first male player in tennis history to win Grand Slam tournaments on three different surfaces (clay, grass and hard court) in the same year (Surface Slam). At 24 years, three months and ten days, the then Word No.1 became the youngest player in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam after his win at the US Open. He also bagged an Olympic singles gold and raked up a calendar prize money of 10,171,998 dollars.

Nadal will play his first US Open match since 2019 when the Spanish ace leads off the Tuesday night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium against Australian Rinky Hijkata. The 36-year-old clinched the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year, giving him a men's-record 22 Grand Slam singles titles. He then advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals before withdrawing due to an abdominal tear, giving him a 2022 Grand Slam record of 19-0.

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