Watch: Little kid gets excited after realizing his mother saw Rafael Nadal play live in Cincinnati
A three-year-old acting in disbelief after his mother told him that she got to watch 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal play live at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati has taken the internet by storm.
Playing for the first time since he was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon, the Spaniard's comeback at the Cincinnati Open was short-lived, as he was knocked out by Borna Coric in a thrilling three-set match in the second round.
In a video posted by a tennis fan on Twitter, however, all that was immaterial to her child. The little boy asked his mother if she had actually managed to catch the World No. 3 in action, to which she said yes. The little boy then responded by squealing in delight at the mere idea of watching the Mallorcan play, confirming over and over with his mother if she really got to see him "in real life."
The child appeared to be a fan of the 36-year-old himself, seeing as when his mother asked him what they said to cheer Nadal on, the kid correctly responded with "Vamos, Rafa."
A look at Rafael Nadal's 2022 season so far
Nadal has had a spectacular 2022 season so far, winning two Grand Slams to take his Grand Slam total to a record 22.
At the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, the Spaniard beat the likes of Matteo Berrettini and Denis Shapovalov to set up a high-voltage clash with Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final. The former World No. 1 then rallied to outclass Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in the title clash to clinch the title.
He replicated his top form at the Mexican Open soon after. Nadal once again defeated Medvedev, this time in the penultimate match, and cruised past Cameron Noorie in the final to extend his winning streak to 15-0.
Plying his trade at Indian Wells, the Spaniard once again displayed sublime form, as he rolled over Nick Kyrgios and compatriot Carlos Alcaraz to reach his fourth consecutive final of the season. However, his 20-match winning streak was put to an end by Taylor Fritz, as the American prevailed 6-3, 7-5(5) in the championship match.
Nadal suffered a brief dip in form, failing to make an impact at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open. The former World No. 1, however, quickly regained his mojo at Roland Garros. He defeated four top-10 players in the campaign, including arch-rival Novak Djokovic, to win the 22nd Grand Slam of his career.
At the next Grand Slam at Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal started off well once again, cruising his way into the quarterfinals. In a nail-biting five-set match against Taylor Fritz, the Spaniard had the final laugh, extending his win-streak in Slams this year to 19-0. However, the long match led to an abdominal injury and he subsequently had to withdraw himself from the tournament before the semifinals.