Tennis great Rafael Nadal wishes to continue playing long enough in order to ensure that his son remembers him on court.
However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion admitted that time is running out for that to happen.
The 37-year-old Spaniard, who could bring the curtain down at the end of the 2024 season, returned to action in Brisbane after recovering from a hip flexor injury which kept him on the sidelines for almost a year.
Soon after a thigh issue ensured he was on the sidelines once again but he made a comeback in Barcelona last week. However, Nadal says he is still not sure if he will play in next month's French Open.
Nadal eased past wild card Darwin Blanch 6-1 6-0 in the first round of the Madrid Open on Thursday, with his wife and one-year-old son Rafael Jr among the spectators.
"Well, I would love to play a little bit longer and give him a memory of myself playing tennis," Nadal said of playing in front of his son.
"That's what will be the ideal thing for me and for my wife and family.
"Probably I will not be able to make that happen. But at least I’m happy to have a great team and family and friends around me during all my life that helped me in every single way of being happy."
Nadal, a five-time champion in Madrid, will lock horns with Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur in the next round on Saturday.