Rafael Nadal describes ‘special’ moment he met Iranian trailblazer Meshkatolzahra Safi

Meshkatolzahra Safi made history in the girls’ tournament at the Australian Open this year and her idol Rafael Nadal has praised the Iranian’s ‘fantastic’ achievement.

Safi became the first Iranian to win a match at a girls' event at a major tournament –– defeating Australia’s Anja Nayar 6-4, 6-3 in the first round in Melbourne.

The 17-year-old also became the first tennis player to compete in a hijab at a Grand Slam, despite the scorching hot conditions in Australia.

After her win, Safi came face-to-face with her tennis idol Nadal, who first inspired her to take up tennis. The teenager said she started playing after watching a Nadal match on the television.

It was a special moment for Safi, and Nadal explained how delighted he was to have the chance to meet the rising star.

“I was in the corridor and somebody from the tournament just introduced me to her and explained to me a little bit the history,” he told The National.

“For me it was a pleasure to know more about her, I think it’s amazing, her story; super special to see players from different parts of the world, especially parts of the world that historically we never had players on the tour.

“I think it’s fantastic to see a player from Iran that now is in the juniors and she already won a match. It’s a great story and it really was a pleasure to meet her.

“For me, it’s something special. If I am able to inspire anyone to help them to make positive decisions on the lives of the people, it’s something that I am very proud of,” said the Spaniard.

“In this particular case, if that helped her to try to play tennis and now she is where she is, it’s a big honour for me and I’m super happy for that.”

Safi said she got into tennis after watching a @RafaelNadal match on TV