'New Rafael Nadal', 16, making waves in tennis and even has identical name to his hero

Argentina may just have a budding tennis star in the making, and his name is. The 16-year-old prodigy hails from Ricardone, a small commune in the area of Santa Fe province.

He was born in 2009, the same year that his namesake clinched his first title. The parallels don't stop there.

Much like the now-retired Spanish maestro, who has 22  titles to his name, young Nadal is also left-handed and counts  as his favourite tournament - a competition where the elder Nadal reigned supreme with a record 14 titles.

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Adding to the intriguing similarities, the young talent's twin brother, also a tennis player, is named Antonio, after Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, who coached the Spanish star for a significant part of his career.

Speaking to ESPN Tennis about the unique coincidence, the young Nadal said: "My dad is a fan of Nadal, in 2008 he travelled with my great-grandfather to Mallorca and they were received by his grandparents. He was also with Nadal at Roland Garros that year. Now the relationship is lost.

"There is a family link, but it is very distant; my great-grandparents are also from there, from Manacor [in Mallorca]. My great-grandfather was named Antonio, and my great-great-grandfather, Rafael."

This naming tradition stems from a custom on the island where the first male child is typically named after the paternal grandfather, while the second receives the maternal one, reports .

However, the tennis history in the family begins with Rafael and Toni. Instilled by their father, Diego, Nadal opened up on his journey so far. "We started playing at four years old with my brother," he said.

The brothers' passion for the sport grew, and by the age of nine, they began training at San Lorenzo. It wasn't until they were 12 that they started competing. Rafael, a left-handed player with a two-handed backhand and an aggressive style, prefers clay courts.

However, while Nadal is his idol, he also admires other players. "Novak Djokovic is the best in history," he said, but his loyalty remains with Nadal.

"But I like Nadal more. In Argentine tennis, my reference has always been Juan Martín del Potro. Fran Cerúndolo, Jack Draper, who is also left-handed, and Carlos Alcaraz are the three players I watch most currently."

Rafael trains with his brother and cousin Marco, working with three coaches. In March 2025, he faced his brother in the 02 Open in Rosario, winning 6-3, 6-2.

With 97 matches under his belt, with 51 wins and 46 losses, Rafael is determined to take his game to the next level. "I am starting to play on the PRO Tour, I intend to compete more," he said.

"This year I want to play nationals and compete at a higher level. I want to be professional." Out of Nadal's 22 Grand Slam titles, 14 were achieved at the French Open.

The Spanish icon racked up 112 victories and only four defeats in Paris, winning 97% of the matches he played there.

Yet young Nadal is undaunted by his namesake's brilliance as he eyes his own success in the French capital. "I dream of winning Roland Garros," he added. "I don't mind carrying this name, I live it with peace of mind."

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