"I love Rafael Nadal more than my mum" - Young fan's hilarious sign during Spaniard's Brisbane International comeback goes viral

Rafael Nadal's long-awaited comeback has sparked immense excitement in the tennis community, manifesting in hilarious fashion during his opening doubles match at the 2024 Brisbane International.

Since arriving in Australia for his return to competitive tennis after nearly a year away, Nadal has generated fervor among fans. His recent appearance at the Queen Street Mall in Brisbane drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. The Spaniard graciously indulged his passionate fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion kicked off his campaign at the Brisbane International in doubles alongside compatriot Marc Lopez. Despite taking on home-favorites Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, the Spaniard received a warm welcome from the crowd, walking out to thunderous cheers.

Although the Australian duo claimed a 6-4, 6-4 victory, the 37-year-old was in high spirits as he acknowledged the applauding audience with a large smile and a wave.

Amid the packed crowd, one young fan stole the show during Rafael Nadal's doubles match, proudly holding up a sign that read:

"I ❤️ (love) Rafa more than my mum."

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Rafael Nadal: "What I missed is being healthy, wake up and don't have pain"

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, who had been on the sidelines since sustaining a hip injury at the 2023 Australian Open, recently opened up about the challenges of his lengthy recovery period.

He revealed that the injury had not only rendered him unable to compete but had also restricted him from partaking in his hobbies. The 22-time Grand Slam champion disclosed that, above all, he had missed the simple joys of being healthy and pain-free during the tough phase.

"I missed to feel myself ready to compete. I didn't miss the competition because during all this period of time, my body was not ready to compete. So when you feel that bad, you can't miss the competition. What I missed is being healthy, honestly. Wake up and don't have pain," he said in a press conference at the Brisbane International.

"Have the chance to have a normal life because during the last year, for such a lot of months, I was not able to have a normal life and enjoy playing golf or doing the normal things that I like to do with my friends or with my family. That's what I missed the most," he added.

Nadal will commence his singles campaign at the Brisbane International with a blockbuster clash against Dominic Thiem in the first round. The duo have faced off in 15 tour-level encounters, with the Spaniard winning nine of them.