Rafael Nadal: "I'd love to play longer and give Rafa Jr. a memory of myself playing... But I can't"

Rafael Nadal recently expressed his wish to play more tennis to create memories with his one-year-old son Rafa Jr. on the tour.

The Spaniard advanced to the second round of the 2024 Madrid Masters after scoring a crushing win over 16-year-old Darwin Blanch in the first on Thursday, April 25. He defeated Blanch 6-1, 6-0 in an hour and six minutes. He broke the teen five times and kept his serve unchallenged during the match.

Notably, the Spaniard had his son Rafa Jr's support as the latter sat in his mother Maria Francisca Perello's lap in the stands at La Caja Magica. After the match, Nadal reached the press room to talk with the media.

He told the journalists that he wanted to extend his career so that Rafa Jr. could watch him more but rued that it wouldn't be possible.

"I would love to play a little bit longer and give him [Rafa Jr.] a memory of myself playing tennis. That’s what will be the ideal thing for me and for my wife and family. But I can’t, probably I will not be able to make that happen," he said.

The 37-year-old continued:

"But at least, I mean, happy to have a great team and family and friends around me almost all my life. It helped me in every single way of being happy."

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Rafael Nadal doesn't want Rafa Jr. to take up tennis professionally

Rafa Jr. in his aunt Maria Isabel at the 2024 Madrid Masters.

Rafael Nadal recently stated that he doesn't want his son Rafa Jr. to play tennis as a professional despite the sport being kind to him.

"I would prefer that [my son] practice another sport. It pains me to say it with everything that tennis has given me... If he wants to play tennis, I will support him. But if he plays another sport, better," he said in an interview with LaSexta (via MARCA).

The 22-time Grand Slam champion picked up a racket at the tender age of four and went on to etch his name in tennis history under the aegis of his uncle Toni after turning pro in the year 2001.

At the Madrid Masters 2024, Nadal will next take on Australia's Alex de Minaur at La Caja Magica on Saturday. It will be his second meeting with de Minaur in less than ten days as he faced a 7-5, 6-1 loss in the second round of the 2024 Barcelona Open on Wednesday, April 17.