14 years after meeting Rafael Nadal as a child with his mother, Joao Fonseca recreates adorable photo with Spaniard at ATP Next Gen Finals

Joao Fonseca, one of the most exciting young talents on the ATP Tour, shared pictures of himself with tennis legend Rafael Nadal. The catch? While one was taken 14 years ago, when Fonseca was a 4-year-old child, the other was taken only recently at the Next Generation ATP Finals.

Notably, the former World No. 1, who bid adieu to tennis this year, is spending three days at the 20-and-under event at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Instagram | @joaofonseca

The 18-year-old Brazilian has risen to a career-best No. 145 this year after registering his first wins at the ATP and Masters 1000 level. Fonseca also lifted his maiden Challenger title at the 2024 Lexington Challenger, defeating Li Tu.

The big-hitting Fonseca also qualified for the 2024 Next Generation ATP Finals with wins over No. 1 seed Arthur Fils and Learner Tien. He will next lock horns with Luca Van Assche of France for a spot in the final. The other semifinal will be contested between Tien and his American compatriot, the big-serving Alex Michelsen.

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A brief look at Rafael Nadal's connection to Saudi Arabia

Rafael Nadal recently participated in the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia (Source: Getty)

Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, bid adieu to the sport after being sidelined since 2023 due to injuries. Nadal played his last match at the recently concluded Davis Cup, losing to the Netherlands.

Nadal's presence at the ATP Next Generation comes on the heels of him being chosen as the ambassador of Saudi Arabian tennis earlier this year.

"Beyond playing I want to help the sport grow far and wide across the world and in Saudi there is real potential," the Spanish legend said of the collaboration (as per Forbes).

Nadal also took part in the "Six Kings Slam," an exhibition event held in Saudi Arabia in October, alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev.

Meanwhile, American streaming company Netflix announced a documentary on the Spanish legend, which will be released soon. The yet-to-be-titled documentary will reportedly chronicle the Spaniard's last year on the tour.

"Everyone will be able to see how my life has been during my tennis career and particularly in this very last year I had," Nadal said of the documentary as per a statement issued by Netflix. "It will also show how my life and my tennis career developed through the years. I am sure the final product, the docuseries, will be amazing and that it will be seen around the world."

A teaser for the same was recently shared on YouTube, garnering praise from Rafael Nadal's fans, eager to follow their idol's trajectory after retirement.