"Since he arrived, I lost more than I won" - Rafael Nadal hilariously blames his baby son after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in Six Kings Slam

By Pritha Ghosh

Modified Oct 18, 2024 00:08 GMT

Rafael Nadal son — Rafael Nadal's son is over a year old now | Image Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal humorously blamed his baby son for his recent dip in form. His comments came after his loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, October 17.

A few days ago, Nadal announced his retirement from tennis, revealing that the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain, this November would mark his final professional tournament. However, before that, he had already committed to the exhibition event in the Gulf country, where he advanced directly to the semifinals alongside his longtime rival, Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard faced Carlos Alcaraz, who had just secured a strong 6-4, 6-2 win over Holger Rune, in the last four and lost 6-3, 6-3 to the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion. During the on-court interview afterwards, he humorously mentioned his baby son, who was there cheering him on with his wife, Maria, dedicating a few lighthearted words to him.

"Well I don’t think I’m great," Nadal said. "Since he arrived to the world I lost more than I won. At the same time having him here helps all the tough moments I’ve been through the last couple of years. He behaves very well even when it’s late. I’m happy."

About the author

Pritha is one of the driving forces behind Sportskeeda's tennis & baseball coverage, serving as an assistant content manager and editor. What began as a casual escape from her tiring biotechnology degree course in early 2022 has blossomed into a passion she loves, cherishes, and breathes every day.

Pritha’s love for the sport was spawned by her dad who showed her clips of "GOAT" Steffi Graf’s matches. Despite a thwarted dream of playing professionally due to injury, she finds solace in reporting the sport, while also mentoring other writers to ensure every article is error-free and top-notch. She double checks credible sources, such as the tournament/player handles and big tennis media outlets, and gives proper credit where required.

Pritha's journey at Sportskeeda is marked by nearly 2000 articles and close to 12 million views, with the "dream-come-true" moment of having her article shared by Chris Evert serving as a highlight of her career. A lifelong Wimbledon fan, Pritha also adores Rafael Nadal, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka.

When she's not seeking unique angles to elevate tennis coverage at Sportskeeda, she loves to channel her inner astrophysics "nerd" by exploring new sci-fi series and movies. A big Lionel Messi, Lewis Hamilton, and Randy Orton fan, she is always ready to engage in sports conversations anytime, anywhere, albeit not without a cup of coffee.

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh