Tennis news: Nadal's son steals the show, Next Gen battles, and Ostapenko's surprising musical preferences

Tennis fans are happy to see Rafael Nadal back on the court in Madrid. He is a fan-favorite around the world but especially at home in Spain. No one, even Nadal, knows how long or how well his tennis will be in 2024 so we need to enjoy it while it lasts. That is a hard pill to accept, but again we are blessed to see the "King of Clay" playing on the red clay at this point in his career.

What is much easier to accept is how adorable Rafael Nadal Jr. is. He has been seen at his dad's matches this year, holding a tennis racquet and stealing the show with his cute face that resembles his father. Born in October 2022, Rafael Nadal Jr. is an adorable toddler that fans love to see sitting courtside at his dad's matches.

With 37-year-old Nadal appearing presumably for the final time in Madrid, we got a sneak peek at the Next Generation of tennis in the match between Joao Fonseca, 17, of Brazil, and 19-year-old American Alex Michelsen. Fonseca came from behind to win in three sets, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. He secured his first Masters 1000 level win in an electric atmosphere, and some are giving him the nickname "Fonzie" with the expectation that this is the first of many wins at this level.

Jelena Ostapenko unwinds with music

Speaking of intensity, no one is more intense on the court than 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko rarely shows the public her off-the-court personality which is sweet, gracious, and full of smiles and laughter. Tennis fans saw the true Penko in a recent Tennis Channel interview with Prakash Amritraj.

Amritraj asked her about a recent Drake concert she attended, and she admitted that she really enjoyed Lil Wayne's opening act. Even though she did not know all of his songs, she found herself dancing and has since added more Lil Wayne to her playlist. Ostapenko also confessed to being a fan of 50 Cent and remains hopeful to see him in concert at some point in the future. Who knew that the 26-year-old Latvian is more of an "old soul" when it comes to rap stars, opting for the music of the original and 40-something performers?

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