Rafael Nadal says he and his family are ‘very well’ after birth of first child

CNN
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Rafael Nadal says he’s thankful for all the messages of support and well-wishes he has received since the birth of his son.

Last week Nadal and his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, welcomed the couple’s first child, Rafael Nadal Perelló, and the 36-year-old tennis star took to Twitter on Thursday to give an update on how the the family is doing.

“Hello everyone. After a few days and many messages of affection I just wanted to thank you all!” the 22-time grand slam winner wrote. “We are very happy and all very well! A big hug.”

Nadal hasn’t played since teaming up with his long-time rival Roger Federer at the Laver Cup in what was the Swiss star’s last match in tennis after a storied career.

The highlight of the evening was the image, captured by photographer Ella Ling, of Nadal and Federer sat hand-in-hand while sobbing uncontrollably as Ellie Goulding performs “Still Falling For You.”

The Spaniard has yet to confirm whether he will feature in any more competitive action in 2022.

The Paris Masters is the next major tournament on the ATP calendar, which begins on October 21, while the ATP Finals runs from November 13-20 in Turin, Italy, with Nadal having qualified for that prestigious tournament.

Meanwhile Nadal has confirmed he will play Casper Ruud, who he beat in this year’s French Open final, in a series of exhibition matches across South America, beginning in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November.