Rafael Nadal's cousin and uncle Toni Nadal's son Joan receives wildcard for Mallorca Championships 2024 qualifying

Joan Nadal, the 20-year-old son of Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach Toni, is slated to make his first appearance at an ATP Tour event. The Spaniard has received a wildcard for the 2024 Mallorca Championships, which begins on June 24.

The youngster has been playing on the ITF Men's World Tennis Tour, the lowest rung of the men's professional tennis, since 2021. He made his debut at the 2021 Mallorca Challenger, where he lost in the first qualifying round to USA's Nick Chappell.

The World No. 1890, who had lost his first nine competitive matches on the ITF circuit, made waves in January this year, winning an ATP ranking point for the first time in his young career at the M15 Futures event in Manacor, Spain. He defeated USA's Andrew Fentry in the first round, before going out to Ukraine's Georgii Kravchenko in his next match.

The 20-year-old has since dropped two of his last nine competitive outings. However, Rafael Nadal's cousin will have a good chance of putting a dent in the men's field at this year's Mallorca Championships; he has received a wildcard for the grasscourt tournament, which is a tune-up event to Wimbledon.

Toni Nadal is the tournament director of the Mallorca Championships. The ATP 250 tournament has seen top players like Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Christopher Eubanks achieve title glory since its inception in 2021.

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Rafael Nadal won 14 Grand Slams under the guidance of his uncle Toni

2017 French Open - Day Fifteen

Joan can stay tension-free about his tennis career if he is under his father Toni's watch. After all, it was the famed coach who helped propel his nephew Rafael Nadal to stardom. The 22-time Major winner began practicing under his uncle when he was a toddler in the 1990s.

Nadal turned pro in 2001, and a few years later, his career took flight. He won the 2005 French Open at the bare age of 19. 13 more Grand Slam triumphs followed in the next ten years; however, Toni stepped down as the Spaniard's main coach in 2016.

Toni Nadal subsequently worked as a consultant with Felix Auger-Aliassime in 2021. The 63-year-old guided the Canadian to a year-end career-high ATP ranking of No. 6 the same year. He is not travelling with Auger-Aliassime anymore, though, going by the latter's admission to the press at this year's Madrid Open.