Meet Rafael Nadal, the 16-year-old tennis phenom from Argentina named after Spanish legend and aiming to break into ATP Tour

Rafael Nadal, a familiar name that echoes in the world of tennis, has again found its way to becoming the hum of a tennis fan's daily life. A 16-year-old namesake of one of the most iconic tennis players to grace the sport has emerged from Ricardone in the Santa Fe province of Argentina, with similar dreams of making it big in tennis one day.

Coming from a place that has produced notable stars in the world of tennis -Juan Martin del Potro, Guillermo Vilas, Gabriela Sabatini and David Nalbandian, to name a few- the Argentine youngster recently started his career as a pro and already intends to achieve more in the coming days.

In an interview with sports media outlet ESPN, the tennis prodigy highlighted how his quest for glory started at a very young age when his parents named him after the tennis legend due to their love for him and had a slight connection with him as well.

"My dad is a Nadal fan; in 2008, he traveled with my great-grandfather to Mallorca and his grandparents welcomed them. He was also with Nadal at Roland Garros that year. Now, the connection is lost," he said.

In addition to that, he also said how the name doesn't put him off or bother him as much. He explained how it is customary in the region from where he belongs to name the first son after the paternal grandfather and the second after the maternal grandfather. Hence, his name is the way it is.

Conversation with the young gun also revealed that name isn't the only factor that the two were connected with as the Argentine went on to express that he plays left-handed with two-handed aggressive backhands and also has an affinity towards clay courts.

Being named after the King of Clay, who has dominated on clay courts for more than two decades and ended his career with a stellar 90% win rate on the surface, also inspired in young Rafa, a zeal to win the French Open.

"My biggest dream is to play and win Roland Garros," he said.

Currently, he enjoys playing with his brother Toni, whom he has been playing with since he was four, and takes pride in sharing that he defeats him every time they play. They, along with their cousin Marco, train together, sharing the same training schedules and deadlines as of now. Young Rafael Nadal also has his aim set for the future, where he looks to play more professional tournaments and make a living off the sport.

"I'm starting to play on the PRO Tour, I intend to compete more. As I play, I set my goals, this year I want to play nationals and compete at a higher level. I want to be a professional and make a living from tennis," he said.

He even said that he isn't hesitant to travel more for his career while sharing his schedule for some upcoming tournaments where he expects to play.

"I traveled to Córdoba and Tucumán to play and I'll probably have to do it again this year," he added.

Young Rafael Nadal also didn't let the weight of his name pressurise him as he did not hesitate to pick out his favourite tennis player of all time and also named a few current stars that inspire him to play.

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Young Rafael Nadal picks his favourite player

Argentine Rafael Nadal picks his favourite- Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal, the 16-year-old Argentine who hopes to make a mark close to his legendary namesake, revealed during the same interview how he finds inspiration in some of the greatest icons of the sport. He elaborated on how even though he acknowledges Novak Djokovic's contribution to the sport, his icon is Rafael Nadal and he is greatly inspired by compatriot Juan Martin del Potro.

"Novak Djokovic is the best in history, but I like Nadal more. In Argentine tennis, my lifelong role model is Juan Martín del Potro," he stated.

In addition to that, he also spoke about some current stars who fuel his desire to play tennis.

"Fran Cerúndolo, Jack Draper, who is also left-handed, and Carlos Alcaraz are the three players I look up to most right now," he added.

When asked to create a perfect tennis player according to him, the young gun made some strong and unconventional choices as he picked Roger Federer's drop shot and volley, Nadal's backhand and mentality, Nick Kyrgios' serve and finished it up with Del Potro's forehand.

To reach the heights of what the Spaniard has achieved in the sport is a far-sighted dream for many players around the world. Albeit, it would mean only well for tennis if another player could channel the greatness that the name Rafael Nadal holds and forge a path to achieve tennis glory.