“Tomorrow morning I’ll see him no problem” – Rafael Nadal on getting late to catch up with his baby son after 2R win at Brisbane International 2024

Rafael Nadal recently said there was a chance he would be unable to catch up with his son owing to the press duties following his Round of 16 victory at Brisbane International 2024. Nadal thumped Australia's Jason Kubler late on Thursday, January 4, at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane to register the second win of his comeback.

The Spaniard sent down three aces and broke Kubler's serve twice to take the opening set 6-1. He continued to dominate the Australian with his powerful return game in the second set, and secured it 6-2 to move into the quarterfinals.

Nadal is slated to take on Jordan Thompson next. He holds the upper hand over Thompson with a lead of 2-0 in the head-to-head count.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion's one-year-old son has traveled with him to Brisbane. Following the one-hour-24-minute-long match on Thursday, Nadal was asked whether he would make it "home" in time to catch up with his son.

Rafael Nadal replied:

"I don’t know, depending on how long the press [conference] will be but if not, tomorrow morning I’ll see him no problem."

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Rafael Nadal reflects on his 12-month-long break from tennis: "I have been able to be at home and enjoy the growth of my son"

2024 Brisbane International: Day 1

In a recent interview with ATP Tour, Rafael Nadal reflected on his 12-month-long break from tennis due to a hip injury. The 37-year-old stated that he was unable to play on the court for four months following the surgery.

"It's been tough, of course. I was not able to do the things that I wanted to do. After all the surgery, it probably had been four months without touching a racket. I was not able to play tennis. I was not able to enjoy a lot because I went through a lot of pain for a long time," he said.

Nadal then looked back at the good times he shared with his family, especially the newborn, during the break. He said:

"But at the same time, I have been able to be at home and enjoy the growth of my son. During the whole year, spend time with the family. To go on vacation for longer periods of time. To know places that I wanted to know, and I was not previously able to do it."

Rafael Nadal welcomed his son in October 2022 with his wife Maria Francisca Perello.