"Rafa really said who am I to prevent my son from having almost the exact same name as the tennis GOAT" - Tennis fans react to Rafael Nadal's reported choice of name for his son

Rafael Nadal and his wife Maria Francisca Perello finally welcomed their firstborn into the world today, a baby boy. According to reports emerging out of Spain, the pair have decided to name their child Rafael, a fairly common name in the country.

Tennis fans on social media found the idea of the 22-time Grand Slam champion's son being named after himself hilarious (the boy would be called Rafael Nadal Perello, to be clear), with many joking that the Mallorcan chose the name just to make his fans happy.

One fan remarked that the 36-year-old did not want to miss naming his son after the GOAT, commenting:

"The baby's name is Rafael too?? Omg Rafa really said who am I to prevent my son from having almost the exact same name as the tennis GOAT!!"

Another user joked that the name meant there would be a Rafael Nadal winning the French Open until 2060, presumably until after the former World No. 1's son becomes a tennis player himself and hangs up his racquet eventually.

"Rafa heard all those people say rafael nadal will keep winning roland garros till 2060 and said wait a minute."

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

Rafael Nadal has a shot at becoming World No. 1 by the end of the year

2022 French Open - Day Fifteen

On the tennis side of things, Rafael Nadal will look to finish his 2022 season on a strong note, one that could even see him become the World No. 1. The 22-time Grand Slam champion hasn't played any competitive tennis since his early exit at the US Open, appearing only in a doubles fixture alongside Roger Federer at the Laver Cup.

The World No. 2 could play next at the Paris Masters, a tournament he has never won till date. Winning the Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career and a strong finish at the Nitto ATP Tour Finals at the end of the year could see the former World No. 1 give a tough fight to Carlos Alcaraz, who currently sits at the top of the ATP rankings.

However, Alcaraz is expected to play at least one tournament more than the 36-year-old, giving him a better chance of holding on to the spot. If the Mallorcan does manage to take the position from his countryman before the season rolls to a close, it will mark the sixth time he has finished a year as the top-ranked male tennis player, and the first time since 2019.