In pictures: Rafael Nadal spotted with his son around Melbourne ahead of Australian Open title defense
Rafael Nadal has touched down in Melbourne ahead of the 2023 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year. The Spaniard is the defending champion at the tournament, having won the competition last year after a dramatic five-setter against former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Interestingly, the 22-time Grand Slam champion is accompanied by his wife Maria Francisca Perello and their newborn child this time around. Ahead of his first practice session in Melbourne, Nadal was spotted spending time with his son, holding him in his arms affectionately while talking to some friends.
being a dad really suits him. This is just adorable! 🥹
Papa #Rafa 🥰💙 being a dad really suits him. This is just adorable! 🥹 https://t.co/LY5lsBr9qA
The 36-year-old has previously spoken about adapting to life as a father, stating that he and his wife have been trying to get more organized than usual so as to have a smooth transition.
"We have some help. No problem at all," he said. "Just I need to organize little bit my life, as everybody needs to do when you have a child in your life."
Nadal with his child 🥰 https://t.co/pfc0rjvIbp
The World No. 2, in fact, credits his wife Francisca Perello as the main reason for his success, calling her a "brave woman" who always stands by his side and encourages him to keep playing tennis. That kind of support makes it easy for him to focus just on tennis, the southpaw notes.
"Luckily, I have a woman who is brave and she has always helped me in everything I could and more, and she has always encouraged me to continue. So, in that sense, she made it easy for me," Nadal said.
Rafael Nadal provisional second seed at Australian Open
On the tennis side of things, Rafael Nadal is the provisional second seed at the 2023 Australian Open, with Carlos Alcaraz remaining the top seed. However, that could change in the coming days, depending upon Stefanos Tsitsipas' result at the ongoing United Cup.
Having made the semifinals of the tournament, the Greek will need to reach the final and then beat a top player such as Taylor Fritz or Hubert Hurkacz to overtake the Spaniard before the seedings and draw for the Melbourne Major are finalized.
Nadal will be joined in Melbourne by nine-time winner Novak Djokovic, who will be looking to equal his arch-rival in the Slam race before the French Open. It currently stands at 22-21, with the Mallorcan winning both the Australian Open and French Open in 2022 and Djokovic winning the Wimbledon Championships.