Rafael Nadal congratulates academy youngster Yaroslav Demin on becoming junior World No. 1

Rafael Nadal congratulated rising junior player Yaroslav Demin after he rose to the top of the world junior rankings on the back of a successful run at the recently concluded Wimbledon Championships. Demin finished as the runner-up to Henry Searle in the boy’s singles final, in addition to reaching the quarterfinals in doubles.

Nadal took to Instagram to reshare a post congratulating the youngster on his latest achievement. The original post was by the Rafa Nadal Academy, where Demin honed his skills.

Screengrab from Rafael Nadal's Instagram

In the final at SW19, Demin fell to British youngster Searle 4-6, 4-6. While the Russian will be disappointed at missing out on the title, the result was enough to catapult him to the summit of the rankings.

Since the inception of his academy in 2016, Rafael Nadal has seen many of its attendees go on to excel in the sport. Three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime are two of the most notable names on the list.

Rafael Nadal sent an inspiring message to Carlos Alcaraz ahead of Wimbledon final

2023 Australian Open - Day 3

Rafael Nadal was one of the very first people to congratulate Carlos Alcaraz following his maiden title at the Wimbledon Championships. Taking to Twitter, Nadal hailed the youngster for making their country immensely proud. He even mentioned how Spanish tennis legend Manolo Santana would be celebrating this achievement.

"You have given us immense joy today, and I am sure that our pioneer in Spanish tennis, Manolo Santana, has also been cheering wherever he is, such as at Wimbledon, which you have joined today. A very strong hug and enjoy the moment, Champion!"

While all this praise from Nadal must have certainly been heartwarming for the World No. 1, Alcaraz probably took even more joy from a message that he’d received before the match had begun.

Prior to his epic five-set victory over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz had received a message from Rafael Nadal wishing him luck. Revealing this after his match, Alcaraz expressed how grateful he was to get the backing of his childhood idol.

"Yes, yes, he sent me a message. First, he sent it to wish me luck for the final, and I appreciate it. That someone like him, an idol of my childhood and who continues to be so, sends you strength and luck for the most important moment of your life is something to admire."

Nadal is currently out with injury, and is expected to return to the tennis tour only in 2024.