Rafael Nadal welcomed a special fan to his Academy in Mallorca this week for a hit out – 97-year-old Ukrainian player Leonid Stanislavskyi.

Stanislavskyi holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest player in the world with an International Tennis Federation (ITF) licence.

The pair hot out on court in what was described as an ‘unforgettable day’ for Leonid.

Stanislavskyi, who has been competing in amateur tennis for over 50 years, wrote to the ITF months ago asking them to create a new veteran category for players in his age range. The ITF has since introduced a new category for over-90s.

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