Tennis News Today: Rafael Nadal shares adorable moment with wife and son at Italian Open; Sofia Kenin involved in heated argument with Rome officials; Camila Giorgi announces shock retirement

Rafael Nadal's son has become a regular fixture as the toddler keenly watches his father compete from the stands with his mother, Maria Francisca Perello. The Spaniard had another adorable moment with his son during a practice session at the Italian Open.

Camila Giorgi's sudden retirement has sent shockwaves through the community. Sofia Kenin lost her cool after officials made her play in unsafe conditions at the Italian Open.

Danielle Collins is tired of people giving her grief over her impending retirement. Kevin Pietersen took to social media to say that Novak Djokovic deserved an apology for his stance on vaccines after AstraZeneca's withdrawal of their COVID-19 vaccine.

Here's a quick rundown on the day's biggest headlines:

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Rafael Nadal has a heartwarming moment with his son during his practice session at the Italian Open

Rafael Nadal at the 2024 Italian Open.

Rafael Nadal, who's currently in Rome for the Italian Open, was getting some practice before he gets his campaign underway. His wife Maria Francisca Perello and his son were in attendance as well.

Nadal's son stole the spotlight from him during his Madrid Open campaign with his adorable antics. The tiny tot was the center of attention once again during his father's practice session.

With a small tennis racquet in his hand, Rafa Jr. got excited when he saw his father making his way towards him in the stands. The 22-time Major champion greeted his family and affectionately kissed his son on the cheek.

Nadal will play his first-round match at the Italian Open on Thursday, May 9, against Zizou Bergs.

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Camila Giorgi bids adieu to tennis

Camila Giorgi was a one-of-a-kind player on the WTA Tour, so it's no surprise that she retired without much fanfare. The tennis community only became aware of the fact after the ITIA website named her under the 'retired players' list.

Giorgi turned pro in 2006 and reached a career-high ranking of No. 26 in October 2018. She won four career titles, with the biggest of them coming at the 2021 Canadian Open. She reached her lone Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2018 Wimbledon.

Giorgi's final career match was at this year's Miami Open, where she lost to Iga Swiatek in the second round. Her date of retirement on the ITIA website was listed as May 7, 2024.

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Sofia Kenin loses her cool after Italian Open officials make her play on wet court

Quite a few matches at the ongoing Italian Open were affected due to the heavy rains on Wednesday. While some matches resumed after a brief respite from the downpour, the courts were not in good condition.

Sofia Kenin's first-round contest against Lucia Bronzetti was one such affected match. When the match started, the American wasn't pleased with the wet court conditions and voiced her opinion about the same.

Kenin's concerns about her safety were ignored, which caused her to go on an expletive-laden rant. The crowd wasn't too happy with her antics and booed her as well. However, the play was halted after a while due to the weather.

"Fu**ing dumba**es people literally," she yelled.

Kenin hit back at the booing crowd once the match resumed and shut them up for good as she registered a 6-3, 6-2 win over Bronzetti. She'll next face Ons Jabeur in the second round on Friday.

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Danielle Collins at her wits' end after people's refusal to accept her retirement

Danielle Collins at the 2024 Madrid Open.

Danielle Collins announced her decision to walk away from the sport in January. She's making the most of her last dance and won the Miami Open and the Charleston Open.

Collins' decision to retire stemmed from her desire to start a family. However, given her incredible form over the last couple of months, some people have a hard time digesting the fact that she won't be around for long. However, the American is over it and finds it to be incredulous.

"I think society and even the people who follow my life closely have had a difficult time accepting the fact that I’m retiring, and it’s really bizarre!” she said during an interview with Tennis TV.

"I’m going to be 31 at the end of the year, and that’s around the time when people make that milestone! It’s like, give me a break! Let me retire and have a family in peace!” she added.

Like most players, Collins is also participating in the ongoing Italian Open. After a first-round bye, she'll take on Anna Blinkova in the second round on Friday.

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Kevin Pietersen believes that Novak Djokovic is owed an apology from the Australian Open for the vaccine fiasco

In a now-deleted post, Kevin Pietersen stated that Novak Djokovic was owed an apology for those who criticized his stance on vaccines. Pharma giant AstraZeneca's withdrawal of their COVID-19 vaccine seems to have prompted the cricketer to make this statement.

Djokovic had refused to get vaccinated, which forced him to skip the Australian Open and the US Open in 2022, among other tournaments. He was involved in a highly-publicized visa scandal which led to his deportation from Australia that year as well.

AstraZeneca withdrew their vaccine as it apparently causes a rare side effect. Pietersen believed that everyone who bashed Djokovic back then for his stance should apologize to him. However, he quickly deleted his post as well.

"It’s time for every single person (who criticised) and the Australian government to issue an apology to @DjokerNole now. I think that would be fitting as he went through HELL! It seems he was onto something," Pietersen wrote.

Kevin Pietersen (L) and his deleted post on Twitter/X.

Djokovic, meanwhile, hasn't commented on the recent developments. He's in Rome for the Italian Open and will begin his campaign against either Corentin Moutet or Roman Safiullin on Friday.