"My heart melted, it was the cutest thing ever" - Rafael Nadal's baby son 'smiling' at Spaniard's performance at Madrid Open delights Monica Puig
Monica Puig has expressed her delight at Rafael Nadal's baby son being in attendance for his father's match at the 2024 Madrid Open.
Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello, baby son Rafa Jr., sister Maribel and mother Ana Maria have been cheering him on during his campaign at the Masters 1000 event in Madrid.
They witnessed the former World No. 1's commanding 6-1, 6-0 win over Darwin Blanch in his opening match. Although his son was absent, the rest of his family also supported him during his 7-6(6), 6-3 triumph over Alex de Minaur in the next round.
Ahead of the 22-time Grand Slam champion's third-round clash against Pedro Cachin, CoCo Vandeweghe and Monica Puig shared their prediction for the winner. Vandeweghe backed the Spaniard to continue his winning ways against the Argentine.
"The level that we saw from the 'King of Clay' was just too good in his previous round. I don't think Cachin is going to pose too much of a problem for Rafa," she said on the Tennis Channel. "Good luck to Cachin but money's on Rafa."
Puig concurred with Vandeweghe's assessment, suggesting that Rafael Nadal will have the "upper hand" with an extra day of rest and a few hours spent on the court.
She also highlighted the emotional advantage of having his son cheer him on from the stands. The Puerto Rican gushed over Rafa Jr., sharing that the heartwarming moment of the toddler smiling at the 37-year-old on the court is the "cutest" thing she has ever seen.
"I'm going to have to contradict myself here. I know that we always go against what CoCo just picked but yes, I think Rafa has the upper hand her. And like CoCo said, he had that extra day to get ready, he hasn't really spent too much time out on court and he has his son watching him," she said.
"I reposted one of the pictures where his son was smiling watching him on court and my heart melted to the floor, it was the cutest thing I've ever seen," she added.
Rafael Nadal on baby son watching him play: "Even if it’s for short period and he doesn’t know anything; for me, it’s a great memory"
Rafael Nadal opened up about the impact of fatherhood after his second-round win at the Madrid Open, sharing that the feeling of being a parent was completely unlike anything he has ever experienced.
"Have a son and come back home and see him and be a father is a completely different thing. The feeling is completely different to anything else," Nadal told the Tennis Channel.
The Spaniard also highlighted the significance of having Rafa Jr. watch his matches, even if the toddler won't be able to enjoy seeing him in action for much longer.
Although Nadal acknowledged that his son will likely not retain memories of watching him compete, he emphasized the personal significance of the memory.
"Just have the chance to see him watching me play. Even if it’s for just short period of time and doesn’t matter if he doesn’t know anything about what happened, that stays there and for me it’s a great memory" he added.