Rafael Nadal's son steals the show with adorable reaction at first courtside appearance

Rafael Nadal's son, Rafael Jr, stole the limelight with his adorable reactions during his first courtside appearance at the Madrid Open.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was cheered on by his family as he defeated American teenage sensation Darwin Blanch in straight sets. The cameras couldn't help but focus on little Rafael Jr as he bounced on the knee of his mum Maria Francisca and aunt Maria Isabel while watching his dad play. The one year old charmed the crowd at the Madrid Open when he held up a tennis racket with his right hand.

After securing victory on his return from injury, Nadal Snr looked over to his wife and son. In response, his infant son raised a finger, winning over the Spanish crowd who cheered whenever he appeared on the big courtside screen. Nadal Snr, 37, extended his Madrid farewell by defeating Blanch in just 63 minutes, setting up a next-round clash with Alex de Minaur. He confessed that he wishes he could extend his career to create more lasting memories for his son as a professional player, but admitted this is unlikely.

"I would love to play a little bit longer and give him (Rafael Jr) a memory of myself playing tennis," Nadal shared. "That's what will be the ideal thing for me and for my wife and family. But I can't, probably I will not be able to make that happen. But at least, I mean, happy to have a great team and family and friends around me almost all my life. It helped me in every single way of being happy.

"Today is not an exception. I still have a great family, great team, and friends from ever since I was a child, a small kid. That makes me happy, and that, in some way, makes me feel great that they are here, but hopefully they're gonna keep being next to me in the future after my tennis career, and that makes me feel great and super happy."

The Spanish tennis icon, who has clinched victory five times in Madrid, expressed reverence for the tournament but acknowledged his uncertainty about overcoming De Minaur due to ongoing fitness concerns.

With the French Open on the horizon and doubts over his ability to participate, Nadal is cherishing each moment he spends on the court, especially with his young son watching from the stands in their native Spain.

"Playing here has always been a huge pleasure and the support is difficult to describe in words," he told Sky Sports. "It's emotional. I am a passionate person but I'm also a stable personality, so I'm enjoying it but also focusing on what I need to be and seeing how far I can go in terms of pushing my physical performance."

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