Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel sends her love to Spaniard as he downs Alex de Minaur in Madrid Open 2R

Rafael Nadal's sister, Maribel, has shared her support for the Spaniard's stunning victory in the second round of the 2024 Madrid Open.

Nadal kicked off his likely final appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 win over 16-year-old Darwin Blanch, setting up a blockbuster second-round clash with Alex de Minaur.

Following his recent straight-sets loss to De Minaur at the Barcelona Open, the 22-time Grand Slam champion delivered an impressive performance to avenge his defeat to the Australian.

The Spaniard narrowly edged past the World No. 11 to claim the opener in the tiebreak, winning 7-6(6). He then delighted the passionate home crowd by dominating the second set to secure a 7-6(6), 6-3 victory and book his place in the third round.

Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel joined their mother Ana Maria and the 37-year-old's wife Maria Francisco Perello in cheering him on during the match. Maribel also extended her love and support to the five-time Madrid Open champion on social media, sharing a picture of him from the riveting clash with heart emojis.

"🫶🫶🫶," she posted on her Instagram story.

Maribel's Instagram story

Maribel has been immensely supportive of the 22-time Grand Slam champion's comeback trail, regularly accompanying him to his tournaments and frequently sharing encouragement for his progress on social media.

---

Rafael Nadal: "Happy to have a great team and family and friends, it helped me in every single way of being happy"

The Netflix Slam - Media Availability

Following his win over Darwin Blanch in his opening match at the Madrid Open, Rafael Nadal opened up about wanting to prolong his career to create lasting memories for his baby son, Rafa Jr., but admitted that it would likely not be possible.

"I would love to play a little bit longer and give him [Rafa Jr.] a memory of myself playing tennis. That’s what will be the ideal thing for me and for my wife and family. But I can’t, probably I will not be able to make that happen," he said in his post-match press conference.

However, the Spaniard looked on the bright side as well, expressing gratitude for the unwavering support of his family, friends and coaching team, saying that it brings him immense joy.

"But at least, I mean, happy to have a great team and family and friends around me almost all my life. It helped me in every single way of being happy," he added.

Nadal will continue the Madrid Open campaign against Pedro Cachin in the third round, following the Argentine's 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4 win over Frances Tiafoe.