"Tennis or family? It's not easy to combine both" - Mischa Zverev on how Rafael Nadal would deal with parenthood

German tennis player Mischa Zverev, in a recent exclusive Instagram live with Eurosport, opined that it would not be easy for Rafael Nadal to combine both tennis and parenthood.

Rafael Nadal and his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, recently became parents for the first time. The 22-time Grand Slam champion took to social media to announce the arrival of his son and thank everyone for their support.

"Hello everyone. After a few days and lots of lovely messages, I just wanted to thank you all. We are very happy and doing very well," Nadal tweeted.

Zverev, who is the father of two sons, said parenthood forces you to make a lot of choices. The German added that for him it was always family that came first.

"You have to think about how you go about it, how selfish – even if that sounds stupid – you want to be. Tennis or family? It's not easy to combine both. For me, family always came first," Zverev said.

The former World No. 25 went on to say that life is going to change "enormously" for Rafael Nadal, and that it could affect his training regime.

"Life will change enormously - for the woman, but also for the father. You have to train for two or three hours every morning, after which it's time for regeneration or fitness. Usually you warm up for half an hour, then you train for two hours, followed by an hour of regeneration. I know that from me: If you have a child, you also say, 'I'll regenerate tomorrow and I need to warm up not me today.' So three and a half hours of training in the morning becomes two or one and a half," he explained.

Changes in sleeping pattern inevitable for Rafael Nadal, says Mischa Zverev

Rafael Nadal (right) and Roger Federeer at the 2022 Laver Cup. (PC: Getty Images)

According to Mischa Zverev, it can get complicated if the new parents do not have a babysitter or parents and grandparents who can take care of them. Zverev stated that in addition to the changes in the daily routine, which inevitably occur for new parents, there are also changes in sleeping patterns.

"You have to get up at night and help, that's not ideal before a match. It may be different with Rafa," Zverev told Eurosport.

The Russian-born German tennis player added that Rafael Nadal's financial position would make things easier for him, which wasn't the case for lower-ranked players.

"If you are as successful as Rafa, then you have the financial means to take so many people with you so that everyday life can run smoothly. That makes it easier. It's different for players who are around 50th or 60th in the world rankings. You have your wife and the coach with you and suddenly the child too," he added.

Rafael Nadal holds the record for most weeks (373) spent as World No. 2 in the ATP Rankings. He has ended the year as World No. 2 a record seven times in his career while finishing No. 1 on five occasions.

Rafael Nadal is currently recovering from an abdominal muscle tear but is expected to compete at the Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

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