Watch: Rafael Nadal amused by a young fan at practice session
Rafael Nadal began preparations for the US Open hardcourt swing by taking to the court at his academy in Mallorca. In one of those training sessions, the Spaniard overshot his pass to former player and hitting partner Tomeu Salva, and a young fan caught the ball in the stands.
The youngster went wild in his celebrations with a friend, catching Nadal's attention on the court.
: Me (please give credit)Very cute moment a week ago during an evening practice. Rafa was sending a ball to Tomeu but a little boy caught it and celebrated this moment with his friend in a very funny way 😄😍
Our hero couldn’t stop smiling after that !
🎥: Me (please give credit) https://t.co/Er5oTNomnz
Overview of Rafael Nadal's 2022 season
Rafael Nadal has been in magnificent form this season, registering a 35-3 win-loss record. He had a fantastic start to the season, winning the Melbourne Summer Set 1 by beating Maxime Cressy in the final.
He then won the Australian Open after beating Daniil Medvedev in an emphatic five-set encounter. The experienced campaigner came from two sets down to clinch his 21st Grand Slam crown.
Nadal then won the Mexican Open in Acapulco without dropping a single set, beating Medvedev in the semifinals before triumphing over Cameron Norrie in the final.
Nadal then competed at the Indian Wells Masters and reached the final with wins over Nick Kyrgios and Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. However, a rib stress fracture prevented him from performing at his best against Taylor Fritz in the title clash, which he lost in straight sets.
After missing the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open, the Mallorcan competed at the Madrid Open, where he lost to Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
Following his Round-of-16 defeat to Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open and a long-standing foot injury rearing its ugly head, not much was expected from Nadal at the French Open. However, he showed his mettle and proved his doubters wrong by winning a record-extending 14th Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam title.
The 36-year-old reached the semifinals at Wimbledon but was forced to pull out due to an abdominal injury.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club would like to extend our sympathies to @RafaelNadal
#Wimbledon https://t.co/EpLvyyQEKV
Nadal will return to action at the National Bank Open (also known as the Canadian Open), which will kickstart on August 7 in Montreal. The Mallorcan has won the tournament on five occasions previously.
After that, the World No. 3 is expected to participate in the Cincinnati Open, which will commence on August 13. He has won two titles in Cincinnati to date, in 2014 and 2015.
The season's final Grand Slam, the US Open, is scheduled to begin on August 29.