Rafael Nadal has posted an urgent statement to warn fans about a worrying online trend involving his name and image.
The Spanish tennis icon, who retired from the professional circuit last year after a glittering career that brought him 22 Grand Slam titles, says he has been alerted to fake videos circulating on social media.
These clips, created using artificial intelligence, falsely claim he is promoting investment schemes.
Writing directly to his followers, Nadal said: “Hello everyone, I’m sharing this alert message, which is something unusual on my social media, but necessary. My team and I have detected that fake videos generated by artificial intelligence are circulating on some platforms, in which a figure appears that imitates my image and voice.
Rafael Nadal has issued a warning to fans after AI videos have impersonated the tennis star
|PA
“In these videos, investment advice or proposals are attributed to me that do not come from me. This is deceptive advertising.
"Please be careful: I have not made nor do I endorse this type of messages. Thank you all for your attention and support.”
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Nadal has largely stayed out of the spotlight since his farewell appearance at the Davis Cup, although earlier this year he returned to Roland Garros for a tribute ceremony where his footprint was immortalised on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Fellow greats Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray joined him on court to mark the occasion.
The emergence of deepfake videos has become a growing concern for public figures across sport and politics.
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Hola a todos,
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) September 23, 2025
Comparto este mensaje de alerta, algo poco habitual en mis redes, pero necesario.
Hemos detectado junto a mi equipo que circulan en algunas plataformas vídeos falsos generados por inteligencia artificial, en los que aparece una figura que imita mi imagen y voz.
En…
AI-generated clips can closely imitate real people, often making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between genuine footage and fabricated content.
Experts warn that signs of manipulation often lie in the small details – from unnatural eye movements to distorted hands and facial features. In many cases, the motion of the person being copied can appear ‘cartoonish’.
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Artificial intelligence has already had a major impact on tennis in other areas. Wimbledon controversially replaced its 300 line judges with AI this summer, following the US Open and Australian Open in embracing automated officiating.
Roland Garros remains the only Grand Slam that still uses human judges.
Novak Djokovic was joined by Roger Federer and Andy Murray at Rafael Nadal's retirement ceremony earlier this year
|REUTERS
Players are also beginning to adopt AI in training, with advanced technology now able to track movement and provide detailed analysis of technique.
Nadal’s warning highlights the other side of the technology – the risks and dangers of impersonation – and comes as sporting stars increasingly find themselves targeted by fraudsters hoping to cash in on their reputation.