"When he first has to go to Australia, it will be hard to be away" - Toni Nadal on Rafael Nadal becoming a father

Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach Toni Nadal recently gave his views on his nephew’s new role as a parent.

Just a few days before it was announced that Rafael Nadal had become a father for the first time, his uncle Toni spoke to the Majorca Daily Bulletin and stated that the 22-time Major winner would be "a great father but maybe not as great as he is a sportsman."

Giving his thoughts on how Nadal would manage his career commitments as a new father, Uncle Toni first said he would carry on like everyone else. Toni, however, admitted that it would be initially tough for Rafael to stay away from family, especially when he looks to defend his Australian Open title at the tournament Down Under in 2023.

"He will do this totally normally. He's not a special guy, as all footballers and many others do this. When he first has to go to Australia, it will be hard to be away, but in the end it is the price you have to pay," he said.

As per reports from Spain, Rafael Nadal and his wife Maria Francisca Perello, who were married in 2019, became parents to their first child – a boy, on Saturday, October 8, 2022.

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Rafael Nadal to play a series of exhibition matches in South America and Mexico

Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud will play exhibition matches in South America and Mexico.

Rafael Nadal has organized an exhibition tour of South America and Mexico in late November. The World No. 2 will be joined by his protégé and World No. 3 Casper Ruud, and they will compete against each other in five cities - Buenos Aires, Bogota, Quinto, Belo Horizonte and Mexico City.

The duo announced the news by performing a skit where Ruud, who was defeated by Nadal in the 2022 French Open final, asked the champion about a potential rematch.

“Well, let me think. Well, here's what we're going to do. We're going to play a rematch in Buenos Aires. If you win I owe you a barbecue. I tell you what, we’ll do five rematches. One in Buenos Aires, Bogota, Quinto, Belo Horizonte, Mexico City. Is that enough or not?" Nadal said responding to the Norwegian’s request.

The exhibition is set to commence on November 23 in Buenos Aires, after the 2022 ATP season comes to an end. The Nitto ATP Finals would mark the conclusion of the ATP season on November 20.

Both Nadal and Ruud have qualified for the finals in Turin. However, the Spaniard’s participation at that and other events, like the Paris Masters, is in doubt owing to injury troubles and his new role as a father.