"If my son whooped so much a*s, you wouldn't be able to tell me sh*t": Fans delighted by Rafael Nadal's father's heart-warming French Open moment

Rafael Nadal's father Sebastian recently visited the 22-time Grand Slam champion's statue at Stade Roland Garros ahead of the 2024 French Open. The statue was unveiled back in 2021 to honor Nadal's legacy at the Claycourt Major.

The statue, located at the Jardin des Mousquetaires, is 3 meters tall, 4.89 meters wide, and 2 meters deep in all steel. It was sculpted by Barcelona-based artist Jordi Diez Fernandez and captures the 14-time French Open champion hitting a forehand, one of his signature shots.

Sebastian paid a visit to the figure recently as he's in Paris for his son's 19th French Open campaign that starts on Monday, May 27. Photographs of Sebastian beholding the statue reached tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) much to their delight.

One of the fans suggested he would be over the moon if he were blessed with a son like Nadal.

"If my son whooped so much a*s at an event that they put a statue of him up, you wouldn’t be able to tell me SH*T," the fan wrote.

"Awww so proud of his boy," wrote another.

Here are a few more reactions from X:

"What a life he has given his family," a fan wrote.

"No words. There are so many feels for Rafa fans as RG gets underway," a fan stated.

"This is the purest thing i've ever seen," a fan commented.

"That is the best statue made for an athlete, in any sport, ever. It is awesome," a fan remarked.

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Rafael Nadal: "I have been fortunate to have very suitable people by my side"

Rafael Nadal; GETTY

Rafael Nadal is in the ultimate phase of his illustrious professional career as a tennis player. He picked up the racket as a four-year-old under his uncle Toni's tutelage and turned pro in 2001.

Since then, he has won a staggering 92 singles titles, including 22 Grand Slams and an Olympic gold (2008).

The 37-year-old recently competed at the Madrid Open, a tournament he has championed five times, for seemingly the final time in his career. He notably exited the event with a loss to Jiri Lehecka in the pre-quarterfinals.

After the loss, he sat with the media and talked about his team and family members' contribution to his unparalleled success. He said:

"I have been fortunate to have very suitable people by my side in all facets, so that in difficult moments I have always received the support of the people around me. If you add to that the love of the people, it always helps to want to try a little more. I have always done it and, well, here I am."

At the 2024 French Open, Nadal will start his journey against Germany's Alexander Zverev in the first round on Monday, May 27.