Nadal's son and wife present at his practice in Sydney for the United Cup

| by Sebastian Dahlman

Rafael Nadal traveled with his family to Australia this year, and that's not so much different from last year, but there are three of them now.

Only recently, the 22-time Grand Slam champion became a father, and he has also already played his first match as a dad, losing to Tommy Paul at the 2022 Paris Masters.

Back a few months ago, the Spaniard's uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, talked about how difficult it would be for his nephew to travel without his son. However, it seems that it won't be an issue.

It won't be an issue for a simple reason: Nadal has decided to travel with his son. The Spaniard will start the 2023 season at the United Cup, representing his country, and ahead of the tournament, he practiced in Sydney.

It was during his practice that fans spotted his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, with their child next to the court. While his wife was in Australia the previous year, they are now joined by their young kid.

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It's a very new experience for both of them, as Maria has to get used to traveling around the world as a mother, with all responsibilities that come along, while Nadal has to act as a responsible father, and also think about his family when scheduling the tournaments that he will participate in.

Ahead of the 2023 season, the Spanish player is hoping to have a great stay in Australia like he did last year when he surprisingly won his 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open. This year, he enters the tournament as the defending champion, but most probably with his main rival, Novak Djokovic, also in the draw.

Having his family there to support him will mean a lot to him, but perhaps he'll have a few more sleepless nights, as he joked about a few times in recent weeks.

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