Rafael Nadal is back on the courts again! The legendary tennis player, who has been sorely missed by fans and competitors alike, is finally making his return. After a long hiatus following a surprising early exit at Roland Garros and skipping Wimbledon to focus on the Paris Olympics, the Spaniard is ready to reclaim his place in the sport. But it’s not just his return to tennis that’s grabbing headlines. As Nadal steps onto the court, there’s a special fan in the stands, one whose presence has everyone talking.

As the 37-year-old took over his Swedish counterpart Leo Borg on Tuesday at the Swedish Open, his son, Rafael Nadal Jr., was spotted watching him play from the stands. Dressed in a black jacket, he was accompanied by his mother, Maria as the two seemed engrossed in the match. The tennis fans were quick to observe this and shared details on Social media.

Taking to his Twitter handle, one of the users wrote, “🤏🤏” signifying the age of Nadal’s son. Rafa and his wife Maria welcomed their son in 2022. But despite his age, this is not the first time when he accompanied his father to watch a tennis match. Rafa Jr. was also present at the French Open this year as his father played against Alexander Zverev in the first round. The father and son cameo were also seen playing together after the match.

Coming back to his latest appearance, his presence took the tennis fans in awe, who expressed their sentiments by sharing adorable reactions on social media.

‘Just chilling watching Papa,’ fans adore Rafael Nadal’s cute son in the stands

As soon as the tweet went viral, fans started pouring in their love. Taking to X, one user wrote, “The Little Prince 🤴 just chilling watching Papa 😍 The generational aspect of this match is incredible. Rafa Jr watching his Papa Rafa play Leo Borg, the son of legendary Bjorn Borg! Clay court 👑👑.” Rafa took over Borg in the first round. For the unversed Leo is the son of the legendary tennis player Bjorn Borg who has 11 Grand Slams to his name and who dominated the tennis arena for several years with his five consecutive wins at Wimbledon between 1976 and 1980.

Another user joined in the fray to respond similarly. “He’s so cute I can’t,” the user wrote. Nadal’s son was born at a very special time for the tennis community. The arrival of their baby boy came two weeks after Nadal’s emotional final match with friend and rival Roger Federer in 2022. Since then, fans have remained in awe of his cuteness whenever he has been spotted in the stands. 

One more user highlighted the legacy of the former World No.1 and expressed their desire to see Rafael Jr. playing the same sport. “There going to be switching seats in 20 years,” the user wrote. Interestingly, Rafa wants something else for his son. In a recent interview, he said, “If he wants to play tennis, I will support him 100 percent. I would never veto his decision to play tennis, but… if he plays another sport, even better.” The series of tweets continued.

Soon one more user drew attention to Nadal’s wife Maria and wrote, “Maria donning RG 🧢.” The tennis star’s wife was seen wearing a white dress with a cap that had ‘Roland Garros’ written over it. This highlights the love of the Nadal family for the venue. And it is justified as well for most of Rafa’s success including 14 Grand Slams have come at this venue.

Another user simply portrayed the cuteness of the 2-year-old and wrote, “such a cutie 😍🧿.”  As the tennis legend continues his campaign, it will be interesting to see if the love and support of his family can help him win more.