- Neymar Jr. was greeted with boos and chants for Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday
- The Brazilian was then seen talking to Rafael Nadal, who is set to retire next month
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Neymar Jr. may have been surprised when he was greeted with boos when he performed at Saudi Arabia’s ‘6 Kings Slam’ tournament on Thursday evening.
The football megastar joined Public Investment Fund (PIF) owned Al-Hilal in 2023 to end his Paris Saint-Germain nightmare in a £78 million move that came as a shock.
The Brazilian forward is believed to be eye-catching money in the Saudi Pro League and was one of the division’s biggest coups. He signed a three-year contract that will reportedly earn him around £26 million a year.
As one of the most famous faces in football over the past decade, he would have expected to become an overnight celebrity in Saudi Arabia, but judging by the reaction to his recent performance, the opposite appears to be true .
After taking the court at the ‘6 Kings Slam’ event, he was loudly booed by fans gathered in the purpose-built 8,000-seat arena called The Venue.
Tennis fans in Saudi Arabia booed Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr. out during the ‘6 Kings Slam’ event
Neymar was spotted catching up with Rafael Nadal, who retires next month
There were even audible chants of ‘Ronaldo! Ronaldo’, with Cristiano Ronaldo being a huge success, unsurprisingly in Saudi Arabia after his own move to Al-Nassr.
The Brazilian was then seen talking to Rafael Nadal, who was defeated in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 by compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in his round of the exhibition tournament.
In the competition, each participant – Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Holger Rune, Daniil Medvedev, Alcaraz and Nadal – will take home at least $1.5 million (£1.15 million), with the winner getting $6 million (£4, 6 million), which is the largest pot in tennis history.
Nadal made one of his last ever appearances on a tennis court after announcing his impending retirement from the sport.
His final appearance will be at the Davis Cup representing Spain in November, ending a breathtaking career as perhaps the greatest to ever pick up a racket.
Despite making headlines for his decision to move to Saudi Arabia, Neymar has only made three top-flight appearances for his new club.
In that time he seemed to be coming into his own quickly, with three assists in as many games, but his progress was quickly halted by a serious injury.
He missed 271 days last season after being injured during his first few Al-Hilal appearances and subsequently having to undergo corrective surgery that required extensive rehabilitation.
The Brazilian did not get the welcome he might have expected at The Venue
Neymar was linked with a shock return to former club Barcelona over the summer
However, Neymar could soon return to action at Al-Hilal as he continues to ramp up his recovery efforts.
Reports had linked him with a sensational return to Barcelona over the summer, although his camp were quick to throw cold water on such talk.
