Records are meant to be broken — and when it comes to Rafael Nadal, he’s done it again, this time off the court.

A racket used by our beloved champion during his victorious 2017 French Open run has sold at auction for a jaw-dropping $157,000, setting a new record for the most expensive tennis racket ever sold. The sale, hosted by Prestige Memorabilia, closed Sunday night and broke the previous record of $139,700 — also held by Rafa, for his 2022 Australian Open racket.

But what makes this item truly extraordinary? It’s not just from a Grand Slam final. The racket was photomatched to 24 matches across Rafa’s 2017 season — including his Miami final against Roger Federer, his Madrid semifinal win over Novak Djokovic, and, of course, his dominant French Open performance.

“To find a Grand Slam Final-used racket from Rafael Nadal is rare. To find one photo matched across an entire clay season (and more) — capped by a French Open title — is unprecedented,” the auction house said.

“Nadal’s 2017 run reaffirmed his place as the undisputed King of Clay, and this racket is a direct relic of that era-defining campaign.”

Congrats to the lucky collector who now owns a piece of tennis greatness!

Source: TMZ