In Pictures: Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel, mother Ana Maria make the most of their "special" time in Rome despite Spaniard's Italian Open early exit

Rafael Nadal made a second-round exit at the 2024 Italian Open as his run at the tournament was cut short by World No. 9 Hubert Hurkacz. Despite the Spaniard's early loss, his sister Maribel and mother Ana Maria made the most of their time in Rome.

Nadal's sister shared pictures of herself and her mother exploring the Italian capital. The pictures were from some of Rome's famous landmarks including the Trevi fountain.

In one of the pictures, the mother-daughter duo could be seen posing in front of Fontana della Barcacia at the foot of the Spanish Steps. With the imposing Trinità dei Monti church in the backdrop, they could be seen smiling and lightly embracing each other.

"Going back to Rome is always special," Maribel Nadal wrote on Instagram.

Maribel included pictures of the courts of Foro Italico with the beautiful Roman architecture serving as the background. She also shared one with a packed stadium watching the Nadal-Hurkacz clash.

In another, Maribel can be seen posing on a court holding a racquet with Facundo Lugones. The Argentine coaches Cameron Norrie and had won the ATP Coach of the Year award for his work with the latter.

They were also joined by Simone Neri, head of Italy at the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel recently appreciated the love given to the Spaniard at Italian Open 2024

Fans showered their love and support on Rafael Nadal as the latter left the stadium following his second-round defeat at the 2024 Italian Open. The 22-time Grand Slam champion waved back to express his gratitute and return the crowd's sentiment.

The Spaniard's sister Maribel took to Instagram to re-post a short clip of the moment. In the clip, the former World No. 1 can be seen walking on a footbridge from the stadium towards the exit.

In the clip, thousands of fans erupted in a loud cheer, chanting his name every time the record 10-time winner of the Italian Open stopped to wave back at them. A seemingly emotional Nadal can also be seen giving the crowd a thumbs-up before making his way out.

Maribel used an Italian flag with heart emoji and captioned the clip:

"This crowd for Rafa," Maribel wrote with crying emoji at the end.

Following his exit in Rome, Nadal is next scheduled to compete at the French Open.

About the author

Stuti is a journalist who has been covering Tennis at Sportskeeda for almost two years. A firm believer in sticking to facts and not overselling them, giving proper context, and maintaining a neutral tone in her articles, her disciplined reporting methods have garnered close to 1 million reads so far, with one of her articles receiving nearly 100,000 views and gaining global recognition.

As an ardent Rafael Nadal fan, Stuti greatly admires the Spaniard for his ability to silence critics who have doubted his form due to recurring injury setbacks. Despite being a fan of the 14-time Roland-Garros winner, she doesn't subscribe to the idea of just one GOAT and considers herself lucky to have been born in the same era as 'The Big 3.'

Stuti is a big Wimbledon fan and adores how the tournament exudes class with its all-white outfits and well-behaved crowds. When she isn't watching tennis or rooting for her favorite player, she can be often found engaged in drawing and graphic designing, maybe even pondering how she could eliminate the final tie-break at 6-6 in Grand Slams if given the chance!

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Edited by Neelabhra Roy