If Rafael Nadal has any intentions of leaving the sport in the near future, then it is fair to say he is using his limited court time to mold his successor.
Nadal's one-year-old son is now part of his courtside team with his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, and coaching entourage led by former World No. 1 Carlos Moya.
Rafa Junior, as he is popularly known, has mostly been in the comforting arms of his parents and was spotted getting all the love during Nadal's preseason camp in Kuwait in the first raw footage of him on a tennis court in the company of his father.
At the Brisbane International, where Nadal is making his tennis comeback after 11 months of being on the sidelines, he walked hand-in-hand with his toddler to the practice courts in an adorable moment that was captured by the backstage video cameras and which melted the hearts of tennis fans.
Nadal's baby boy was seen helping him carry one of his Pure Aero rackets from Babolat. The former World No. 1 then escorts Rafa Junior to the court. In another lighthearted moment captured on camera, Nadal's son holds a custom-made toy racket and watches his practice from the stands.
The Brisbane International officially kicked off on Sunday, December 31st, with a pair of main draw matches. For the next two days, first-round matches will be completed, one of which will see Nadal face Austria's Dominic Thiem.
It will be the 37-year-old's first singles match since he hurt his hip during a second-round defeat at the 2023 Australian Open. Nadal is pleased with his level of practice, training with ATP players like Arthur Fils, Jan-Lennard Struff, Emil Ruusuvuori, and even Holger Rune.
His official return was in doubles of the same tournament, partnering countryman Marc Lopez, but were overwhelmed by the Australian pair of Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell.
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