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

Argentina may have a new tennis star on its hands, and his name? .The 16-year-old hails from Ricardone, a commune in the San Lorenzo department in the province of Santa Fe. He was born in 2009, the year Spanish icon Nadal won his first title, and, indeed, is named after the tennis icon.

The similarities continue to stack up. Just like the 22-time winning giant, the young Nadal is left-handed, and his favourite tournament is the competition that's been forever marked by Nadal's dominance after he clinched the title on a record 14 occasions. Another slight curiosity is that the youngster's twin brother is also a tennis player. He is named Antonio, after Nadal's Uncle Toni - the star's coach for much of his career.

Elaborating on the peculiar happenstance, the young Nadal explained to ESPN Tennis: "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," he added.

This is because on the island, the first male child is usually given the name of the paternal grandfather, while the second is handed the maternal one.

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.

"We liked it and at nine we went to train at San Lorenzo. Only at 12 did we start to compete. I am also left-handed, with a two-handed backhand and aggressive, better on clay. I watch a lot of tennis and my idol is Nadal, always."

While Nadal is naturally his hero, he did touch upon his current influences in the game. "Novak Djokovic is the best in history," he said.

"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."

The young Nadal trains with his brother and his cousin Marco. He claims they have three coaches, and in March 2025, the two brothers met in the second round of the 02 Open in Rosario, on the PRO Tour, with Rafael winning 6-3, 6-2.

Rafael has played 97 matches in this circuit, with 51 wins and 46 losses. Antonio, on the other hand, has 95 games with 46 wins and 49 losses. However, Rafael is now aiming to break into the game's upper echelons.

"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."