Hours before Rafael Nadal begins his US Open campaign at Arthur Ashe Stadium, he is trending on the internet for a reason that’s wholly different from the on-court affair. His name was brought up by the Spanish paparazzi Jordi Martin for secretly dating Colombian singer Shakira.

Martin is the same paparazzi who exposed Gerard Pique’s relationship with Clara Chia after the Barcelona defender broke off ties with his long-time partner Shakira. Martin recently suggested that Shakira has sort of had a torrid affair with Nadal before she met Pique.

“I can say that Shakira made a video clip with Alejandro Sanz, but she did not get involved with him,” said Martin, adding, “She got involved with someone equally or more famous.” Martin seemed hesitant to take Nadal’s name directly, but upon the host’s insistence, he gave enough hints for the viewers.

“He is a world-renowned person and a top sportsman. He’s not a footballer, he’s a tennis player,” he added. It was finally confirmed that the tennis player is none other than Nadal when Martin mentioned the track Gitana from the album She Wolf, in which the Spaniard shares the screen with Shakira.

“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,” he continued. “That’s where I leave it, I can’t name names.”

Nadal, having already won the first two grand slams of the year, will now be eyeing the US Open title, which will set him on par with Serena Williams for players with the most number of majors in the Open Era. His route to the final looks promising, although full of bumps, with players like Fabio Fognini, Carlos Alcaraz, and Andre Rublev standing in his way.

Shakira, meanwhile, is facing allegations of duping the Spanish authority in the tax fraud case. Between 2012 and 2014, she failed to pay a sum of $15 million to the concerned authority. If convicted, she may face imprisonment of up to eight years.

Lead Image: Rafael Nadal/Twitter