"I’m a person who loves kids but I would like to start to do all of this when my sporting life determines it" - Rafael Nadal 

In a recent interview with The Sun, World No. 5 Rafael Nadal disclosed that while he "loves kids," he will probably wait until his sporting career is over before starting a family.

“I would love to have children: boys, girls… I’m a person who loves kids and I’m a family guy. But also I tell you that the reality is, the years keep passing, I would like to start to do all of this when my sporting life determines it," said Nadal.

Nadal married long-time girlfriend Maria Francisca Perello in 2019 after dating for more than 14 years. However, the 21-time Grand Slam champion remains the only one of the Big 3 not to have children. Roger Federer has four children (two sets of twins) and Novak Djokovic has a son and daughter.

In the interview, Nadal opined that having children would not be "ideal" considering his hectic travel schedule.

Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open

“I think it’s also above all about looking after the kids. I don’t know if it [travelling throughout the year and having children] is ideal," added the former World No. 1 player.

This is not the first time Nadal has shared his views about having kids. In an interview with the ATP in 2020, he stated he "could have had children before" if he had retired from the sport.

Rafael Nadal with his wife Maria Francisca Perello (extreme right)

When pressed, Nadal said that at their age, he and his wife were "not going to wait five years" to have children.

"I didn’t know. If I didn’t see myself playing tennis... then possibly, I could have had children before. It’s not something that just depends on you. I love children and I would like to form part of a family, and at the age, we are now we’re not going to wait five years," mentioned Nadal.

Rafael Nadal likely to feature at Acupulco following Australian Open triumph

Rafael Nadal with the 2022 Australian Open title

After his incredible run at the 2022 Australian Open, where he lifted his 21st Major, Nadal is likely to feature at the Mexican Open in Acapulco from February 21-26.

The Spaniard has already won the tournament thrice and can level the record for most titles at Acupulco if he wins it again. David Ferrer and Thomas Muster have won the ATP 500 event four times each.

Along with Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini and Alexander Zverev will headline the tournament.