Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel expresses excitement at the Spaniard's swimming training as he continues his recovery for potential return

Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel recently expressed her happiness at the 22-time Major winner continuing his training to get back to professional tennis.

The 37-year-old has been out of action ever since injuring his hip during the 2023 Australian Open. He recently underwent arthroscopic surgery to address the issue but faces an extensive rehabilitation process before his potential comeback.

The Spaniard has started his recovery process, though, and earlier on Thursday (September 14), he posted a picture of him swimming to get in top shape on his Instagram handle. While so many comments on the post wished him well, his sister Maribel's response stood out.

Maribel Nadal has been a regular face in his support circle since the Spaniard turned pro. She is always cheering him on whenever he documents his training on the micro-blogging site.

The 34-year-old was visibly happy at the 22-time Major winner's swimming picture, as she replied with a few emojis.

A screen capture of Maribel's comment on her brother's post

Rafael Nadal was also recently spotted getting in a workout at his tennis academy's gym, much to his fans' delight. He is also expected to make a comeback at the Australian Open 2024 according to his former coach and uncle Toni.

"Rafa is good, recovering. If all goes well he wants to return to the court for the 2024 Australian Open," Toni told El Desmarque.

---

All you need to know about Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel

Rafael Nadal and his sister Maribel pictured during a public appearance

Maria Isabel is Rafael Nadal's younger sister and has always been in his players' box during Grand Slam tournaments.

The 34-year-old has completed her education in sports management and works at her brother's tennis academy as a marketing and sales head.

While Maribel is usually not that vocal about the goings-on in the Spaniard's career, she came to public attention last year during his fourth-round match against home favorite Frances Tiafoe at the US Open.

She was caught on camera in New York, as she and the Spaniard's team attempted to remind the 22-time Major winner that he needed to take caffeine during the fourth set of the match.

Her advice, however, didn't seem to help the 37-year-old, as he succumbed to a 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6 defeat to the American.

The loss in New York started a string of bad luck for the Spaniard, who went on to lose four of his next six ATP tour matches.