"Might start liking Rafael Nadal again because of Rafa junior" "What a cute bean" - Fans react to Spaniard's son's presence at Italian Open 2024

Tennis fans recently reacted to Rafael Nadal's son Rafa Jr. attending his matches at the 2024 Italian Open. The little boy was present at the Foro Italico during the Spaniard's first-round match.

Nadal used his protected ranking to secure his place in the ATP Masters 1000 Italian tournament. A 10-time Italian Open champion, the Spaniard kicked off his campaign by overcoming Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 54 minutes in the first round. This is his third consecutive tour-level event this season, following his participation in the Barcelona Open and the Madrid Open.

The former World No.1 last clinched the Italian Open title in 2021, when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the championship match.

However what caught the attention of the fans during Rafael Nadal's match against Zizou Bergs was the presence of his son, Rafa Jr., in the stands. The Spaniard and his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, tied the knot in 2019 and welcomed their son in October 2022.

Tennis fans were delighted to see Rafa Jr. supporting his father from the stands. One fan took to social media to express that they might start admiring the 22-time Grand Slam champion simply because of his adorable son.

"Might start liking [Rafael] Nadal again because of Rafa junior. ugh just look at that wittle baby," the fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another fan stated that Rafa Jr. was extremely "cute."

"What a cute bean 😩 ," a fan posted.

"Thanks Rafa Nadal Jr for your service in giving us reusable photos 😅 Someday in a few years this is how you will react when you learn about your father’s clay court resume," a fan wrote.

A fan stated that the little boy has unwittingly become a personality in the tennis world that he doesn’t even know or understand.

"He really has become a very important tennis personality lately and he doesn’t even know it," the fan wrote.

Several fans commented on Rafa Jr.'s cuteness while one fan pointed out that the little boy has the same "face card" as his father.

"Like father,like son, face card 😆 ," a fan posted.

"Rafa Jr is so cute I can't 😭 😭 😭 ," a fan wrote.

"I just can't," a fan posted.

Rafael Nadal on fatherhood: "You learn everyday, every day is unexpected"

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Earlier this year, Rafael Nadal talked about fatherhood and stated how being parents brings new surprises for him and his wife every day. He expressed that being a new parent is a constant learning experience for them, which comes with unexpected challenges and joys

"Everything surprises you because everything is new. Especially the first kid you have, everything is 100 percent new for my wife and for me. So you learn everyday, and every day is unexpected," he told E! News.

The Spaniard also shared that his love for children has always been there and that he has always been a "kids guy," as he enjoyed spending time with them even when he was young.

The 37-year-old attributed this fondness to his close relationship with his younger cousins with whom he spent a lot of time when they were kids.

"I have always been a kids guy. I always enjoyed spending time with the kids, I had plenty of smaller cousins than me so I had a lot of fun with them when they were babies," he added.