What can be more satisfying for an athlete’s family than seeing them shine on the global stage of sports? For Rafael Nadal’s family, nothing comes close. The Spanish tennis star was given a special honor at the Paris Olympics on Friday, and his family couldn’t be prouder. His uncle, Toni Nadal, is the latest to express their joy and pride.

Rafael Nadal, along with her WTA counterpart Serena Williams, was honored with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron in Paris as the world tuned their sight towards the city of lights. The 14-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal received the Olympic flame from Zinedine Zidane. He then boarded a boat on the Seine, where he was joined by Serena Williams for the honor. And this seemed to make Nadal’s uncle emotional.

Toni Nadal took to his Instagram on Saturday and shared a picture of the tennis star holding the Olympic flame. He let his true feelings out in the caption and wrote, “What a significant detail of the Organization Committee! Very emotional!” But Toni is not the only Nadal family member to express such sentiments.

Rafael Nadal’s sister, Maribel Nadal also took to her Instagram post to share the picture of her brother. She lauded her brother in gestures as she captioned the picture, “🙌🏼🥹❤️.” Coming back to Toni Nadal, this is not the first time he has expressed such pride for his nephew. 

Toni Nadal has coached Rafa in his early days and has shared a close bond. But even he feels surprised and proud to see the ‘King of Clay’ gaining such success. In an interview with Relvo, Toni said, “When doctors told Rafael in 2005 that his career was over because of his foot problem that was causing him so much pain, it was unimaginable to me that he could win 22 Grand Slam titles.”

For the unversed, Nadal was diagnosed with  Mueller-Weiss Syndrome. It is a rare illness that impacts the adult navicular bone, one of the most crucial bones in the human foot. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal is currently gearing up for his first match at Roland Garros. 

Can Rafael Nadal leave Paris with ‘Peace of Mind’?

Rafael Nadal is playing the last season and the last Olympic games of his career. But despite his age and the injury-led woes, his probability of winning an Olympic medal cannot be ignored, especially because of his special partnership.

Rafa has dominated the clay courts for decades. Having won 14 of 22 Grand Slam titles on this surface, he has demonstrated exceptional skills. But this Olympics, he is also partnering with Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz, who is fresh off two grand victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, will boost Rafa’s chances at least in the doubles category.

The two will begin their campaign together on Saturday at Court Philippe Chatrier. They will face Argentina’s Gonzalez Maximo and Molteni Andres in the first round. With the duo partnering to form one of the best teams in tennis history, their chances are extremely high. And Nadal has also depicted similar sentiments. 

“The Olympic Games is the biggest event.” Nadal said. “We’ll be making an effort to ensure we can leave with the peace of mind that we have tried to go as far as possible. We haven’t been able to prepare like other pairs, but we have confidence in Carlos’ form. I hope that last week, when I spent a lot of time on court, helps me physically to raise the level so that this works.”

It will be interesting to see if the duo can win a gold for their country and return with the ‘peace’ that Nadal desires.