Tennis world loses its mind as Rafael Nadal’s son steals the show

Tennis star Rafael Nadal made his long awaited return to the court, but it was his son who stole the show in a viral clip.

Rafael Nadal’s return to the tennis court has been overshadowed in the cutest way possible.

The 22-time grand slam winner was back in action in Las Vegas as he took on fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz for The Netflix Slam.

Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

The exhibition contest saw the stars come out with Charlize Theron and Catherine Zeta-Jones in attendance.

And while the eyes of the tennis world tuned in to catch a glimpse of Nadal, it was his 16-month old son who stole the show.

Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, shared a heartfelt video of the youngster in the stands playing tennis with a mini Babolat racquet in hand.

“Rafael Nadal Jr. was the highlight of the event hands down,” Broomfield wrote.

Fans watching on were just as smitten watching the youngster rock a mini replica of his dad’s racquet.

One user on X wrote: “Ok I couldn’t expect this NetflixSlam to get better after it’s over but it just did. The cutest thing I will see in a long time. Rafa Jr hitting tennis ball like he won’t let it go! Like his dad.”

Another wrote: “Rafa junior is hitting a tennis ball with a mini racquet and I’ll never be the same again.”

All eyes were on Nadal's son

The cutest thing ever seen

The event was a highly sought after ticket with NFL stars Jordan Love, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford in attendance.

While most eyes were drawn to Nadal’s son, it was Alcaraz who proved too strong on the court as he secured the 3-6, 6-4, 14-12 tiebreak win.

The contest at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino was a chance for both Spanish stars to test their fitness ahead of the ATP Indian Wells Masters.

“It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times,” Nadal said after the exhibition.

“As a fan, I will enjoy watching him for many years hopefully. In Spain, we should be very, very happy about having someone like Carlos coming.

“He’s an amazing player. He’s only 20 years old and he’s already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments.”

Alcaraz took the chocolates on the day. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)

It was an encouraging performance before Indian Wells, where Nadal is a three-time champion. In his most recent Indian Wells appearance, Nadal finished runner-up to American Taylor Fritz in 2022.

The Spanish veteran will play his first-round match at Indian Wells on Friday. Alcaraz, who will be seeded in the California desert, will have a first-round bye.

Alcaraz, ranked second in the world, will be trying to become the first man to successfully defend his Indian Wells title since Novak Djokovic’s three-peat from 2014-2016.

But the 20-year-old Spaniard has had his own injury concerns of late, retiring from his first-round match at the Rio Open less than two weeks ago after he rolled his right ankle on just the second point of the match against Thiago Monteiro.

It was another setback for the two-time Grand Slam winner, who fell to Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open quarter-finals and lost to Chilean Nicolas Jarry in the semi-finals at Buenos Aires.

Alcaraz hasn’t won an ATP title since his stunning Wimbledon triumph over Djokovic last July.

– With AFP