Rafael Nadal reacts as Paralympic legend matches Michael Phelps in Paris

Rafael Nadal has sent a congratulatory message to swimming legend Teresa Perales after the 48-year-old bagged her 28th Paralympic medal. Perales clinched the bronze medal in the 50 metre backstroke S2 in Paris to match the Olympic tally of Michael Phelps.

Spanish star Perales finished behind gold medallist Yip Pin Xiu from Singapore and silver medallist Haidee Aceves from Mexico in the event on Saturday night to claim her country’s fourth medal of the day.

Inigo Llopis had earlier won gold in the 100m backstroke S8, with Yassine Ouhdadi tasting victory in the 5,000m event in the T13 class. Maria Delgado, meanwhile, won bronze in the 100m backstroke S12.

Perales, who appeared in her first Paralympics at Sydney in 2000, had already competed in one final in the French capital as she finished fifth in the 100m backstroke S2 on Thursday.

And after the star had landed her bronze medal, 22-time tennis Grand Slam champion Nadal wrote on X in Spanish: “Impressive. Congratulations.”

Perales, whose incredible medal haul comprises seven golds, 10 silvers and 11 bronzes from seven Games, is the most decorated Spaniard in Paralympics history. American ace Phelps, meanwhile, won 23 golds, three silvers and two bronzes at five Olympic Games before retiring from swimming in 2016.

Perales was interviewed by the official Olympics website ahead of the Rio Games eight years ago.

And she explained: “I think Beijing’s Games were my best. It is where I got the best results. I got three gold medals, two world records. Both records are still unbeaten - well one has been matched but the other is still unbeaten. The London Games were emotional because my two-year-old kid was on the stadium bleachers and I managed to win the gold medal on the last competition.

“I work a lot with my mind and that makes a difference when competing. The water is freedom, it makes me equal with everyone else.”

And discussing her career three years ago she told Euro News: “The strength comes from inside, it's motivation. When you are training, you train alone and you don't have people cheering you on, so it is important that every one of us finds their inner strength and understands why they do things.

“I’m doing it because I like it, because I am passionate about it, because I love to compete because I love to win and I always dream about the possibility of getting onto that podium.”

Nadal, meanwhile, has won two Olympic gold medals throughout his illustrious tennis career. The 38-year-old clinched gold in the singles at Beijing 2008 after overcoming Chile's Fernando Gonzalez in the final in straight sets. He then won the gold in the doubles alongside Marc Lopez at Rio 2016 after the duo defeated Romania's Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau in the showpiece match. And his Olympic career ended in doubles defeat alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the third round in Paris earlier this summer.