Nadal Wishes He Could Play Long Enough for His Son to Remember Him on Court

Rafa Nadal stated that he hopes to continue competing for as long as possible so that his son would remember him on the tennis court, but he acknowledges that time is not on his side.

After being out of competition for nearly a year due to a hip flexor injury, the 37-year-old Spaniard—who has stated that he plans to retire after the 2024 season—returned to action in Brisbane in January.

After suffering a thigh problem, he missed more time of play. Although he was back in Barcelona last week, he claims he is not at his best and is unsure if he will participate in the French Open next month.

In the opening round of the Madrid Open on Thursday, Rafael Nadal defeated wild card Darwin Blanch 6-1, 6-0, in front of his wife and one-year-old son Rafael Jr.

Regarding playing in front of his son, Rafael Nadal remarked, “Well, I would love to play a little bit longer and give him a memory of myself playing tennis.”

That will be the best course of action for my wife, my family, and me.

Most likely, I won’t be able to pull that off. However, I’m glad that I’ve had a fantastic team, family, and friends by my side my entire life who have supported me in every aspect of my happiness.”

Five-time winner Rafael Nadal will next play Australian tenth seed Alex de Minaur on Saturday.