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Rafael Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello and son Rafael Nadal Jr. were spotted cheering the Spaniard from the stands during his first-round match at the Barcelona Open, while, Aryna Sabalenka playfully teased Paula Badosa for choosing Ons Jabeur over her as best friend.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz expressed uncertainty over Madrid Open appearance following his Barcelona Open withdrawal due to a forearm injury. Andrey Rublev smashed his racket on the court in frustration following his second-round exit against Brandon Nakashima at the Barcelona Open.
Also, Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian took up golf lessons to match their daughter Olympia's skills.
On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Rafael Nadal's wife Maria and baby son cheer him on during Barcelona opener
Rafael Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello and his 16-month-old son Rafael Nadal Jr. were seen cheering the Spaniard from the stands during his first-round match at the Barcelona Open.
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Nadal, who made his comeback following a two-month absence due to an injury sustained in Brisbane earlier this year, clinched victory in his opening match against Flavio Cobolli with a score of 6-2, 6-3.
An image of Nadal's son and wife supporting him from the stands was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a fan account.
Rafael Nadal will now face fourth seed Alex de Minaur in the second round.
Aryna Sabalenka jokes about Paula Badosa losing her after Spaniard chooses Ons Jabeur as best friend
Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, and Ons Jabeur shared playful banter over who the Spaniard considers her best friend on tour. While at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Badosa jokingly named Jabeur over Sabalenka as her best friend in a promotional video.
"Very important question, because everybody wants to know, who is your best friend on tour?" Jabeur asked.
"You," the Spaniard replied.
Sabalenka humorously responded to the video, expressing betrayal over being replaced as Badosa's best friend.
"Ok bye @paulabadosa You lost me now!!!" Sabalenka posted on her Instagram story.
Badosa teased Sabalenka about her absence after her first-round match but assured both players of her equal affection.
Paula Badosa defeated Diana Shnaider 6-3, 6-4 in the Stuttgart opener and will now face second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the next round. Ons Jabeur, on the other hand, is seeded seventh and received a bye into the second round where she will face Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Carlos Alcaraz expresses doubt over Madrid Open participation days after Barcelona Open withdrawal
Carlos Alcaraz expressed uncertainty about his participation ahead of his title defense at the 2024 Madrid Open. Alcaraz had to withdraw from both the Monte-Carlo Masters and the ongoing Barcelona Open due to a right forearm injury he sustained during practice.
Alcaraz gave an injury update and shared his concerns about his upcoming title defense in Madrid during a press conference in Barcelona.
"The images we have are positive, but my feeling is not correct, but this is what there is right now. Now I will put all my concentration on the recovery, since I will have a little more margin. My goal is to go to the Mutua Madrid Open, but, at the moment, I am not clear at all," he said in his press conference (translated from Spanish via Punto de Break).
The Spaniard added that he is committed to participating and will do all he can to recover for the Masters 1000 tournament.
"They told me some deadlines, which I have met well, but I still don't have those good feelings. I don't want to rush, I don't want to say that I will be 100% in Madrid, although that is my intention," Carlos Alcaraz said.
"We are going to train, we are going to do everything in our power to make those sensations better and the right ones to play a tennis match at 100%," the two-time Grand Slam champion added. "I hope I can enjoy the Madrid crowd and playing at home, this would be super important for me. I hope everything goes on a good path."
Andrey Rublev smashes his racket on court following Barcelona Open 2R loss
Andrey Rublev angrily smashed his racquet on the clay court following his 6-4, 7-6(6) defeat to American Brandon Nakashima in the second round of the 2024 Barcelona Open. This loss marked the Russian's third consecutive early exit from tournaments this season.
Watch the video below:
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian turns to golf lessons to match daughter's skills
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian admitted that their daughter Olympia outshines him in golf, which prompted him to start golf lessons to match her skills. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ohanian also added that he would be attending the 2024 Masters Tournament, where players from his club, LAGC, would be competing.
"Jr is so much better than me and I'm taking matters into my own hands and getting lessons... And now I've got #TheMasters on TV cheering our LAGC guys on. What a perfect Sunday," he wrote.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
