Rafael Nadal helps kick off Carnival in Rio de Janiero with singing, dancing

Nor rain, nor samba, nor the prospect of playing his first clay court event of the year could keep Rafael Nadal away from Carnival on Sunday. Alongside

Courtney Nguyen | Feb 16, 2015

Rafael Nadal helps kick off Carnival in Rio de Janiero with singing, dancing /

Nor rain, nor samba, nor the prospect of playing his first clay court event of the year could keep Rafael Nadal away from Carnival on Sunday. Alongside Brazilian great Gustavo Kuerten and David Ferrer, the No. 3 and defending champion at this week's Rio Open toured the Sambadrome as part of the Unidos da Viradouro samba school, and if the photos are any proof, he couldn't stop smiling.

“It was the first time we had the chance to enjoy the Rio Carnival and it has been an unforgettable experience," Nadal said. "There was unbelievable positive energy everyone. Everyone was singing and dancing, it was fantastic for me to have the chance to enjoy this unique experience."

“They are turning into Brazilians," Kuerten said. "For sure it’s something very different from everything they had seen before.”

“It was really beautiful,” said Ferrer. “I had never been to the Rio Carnaval, or any Carnaval in Brazil, and the atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was so happy and dancing. Even with the rain, people really enjoyed their time here."

Here's some footage of Nadal trying to samba:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fBNGjUNHIY]

Said Ferrer: "I think I danced more today than I did in my entire life, I hope I can improve for next year. If I have the chance I would love to do it again."

Nadal and Ferrer are the top two seeds at the Rio Open. They play their first matches on Tuesday. Nadal opens against Thomaz Bellucci and Ferrer plays Daniel Gimeno-Traver.

Published Feb 16, 2015

COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.