Rafael Nadal: "Having a child at home is always special but I would have been fine without it too"

Rafael Nadal and his wife Maria Francisca Perello were blessed with their firstborn, a son named Rafael Nadal junior, earlier this year. With the Spaniard being out of action at the moment due to injury, the presence of his child at home has made this time rather special for him.

Nadal, interestingly, is of the belief that he would have been fine even if that had not happened. At the same time, the 22-time Grand Slam champion made it clear that his son has given him loads of happiness just by being there by his side during this time of trouble.

"I have always taken things well. But in that sense, of course having a child at home who is also the first is always special, because of course it makes you happy in many moments. But I think that I would have been fine without it too, because I have accepted and tolerated it well throughout my life. But without a doubt it helps and gives me happiness," Nadal said in an interview with Agencia EFE (as quoted by Lared).

Rafael Nadal also touched on his potential comeback at the Australian Open next year, saying that tournament director Craig Tiley jumped the gun by announcing that he will be playing in Melbourne. At the moment, the Mallorcan is not exactly sure where he can return to action and is taking things day by day at the moment.

"It was a bit daring. I have a very good relationship with him and I understand his excitement and also that of the Australian Open, which is surely less than the excitement I have about going there. But from there to saying that I am going to be at the Australian Open seems very complicated to say today," Rafael Nadal said.

"In fact, I don't know and I'm working to try to recover. Therefore, my way of understanding my moment is that I do not need dates, but rather I need to simply work day by day with enthusiasm and with the right mentality to try to recover," he added.

Rafael Nadal jokes about his son picking up a tennis racquet: "He found it amusing"

2023 Australian Open - Day 3

Rafael Nadal recently said that he has taken his son along with him to his tennis academy in Mallorca, where the toddler picked up a tiny racquet. However, the kid found it amusing in the same way that he found a spoon funny, joked the 37-year-old.

"No, he went one day to the academy and held a tiny racket because he found it amusing but in the same way he finds spoon funny," he recalled.

The former World No. 1 was last in action at the 2023 Australian Open, where he suffered a hip strain during his second-round loss at the hands of Mackenzie McDonald.