Rafael Nadal may have stepped off the courts, but his impact? Oh, it’s as powerful as ever! With 22 Grand Slam titles under his belt, the Spanish legend is the ultimate symbol of grit and greatness, inspiring players across generations. And one youngster who couldn’t hide his admiration is Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca. The 18-year-old Fonseca, already making waves on the circuit, had his fanboy moment in Jeddah when he crossed paths with the King of Clay.

The Brazilian rising star is on a remarkable run at the Next Gen ATP Finals. He has won all three matches he has played so far and is now gearing up to face Luca Van Assche in the semi-finals. But what unfolded on Friday besides his remarkable win was a meet-up with none other than Nadal who visited the venue and engaged with players and fans. And it would not be wrong to say that for Fonseca, this meeting was nothing but inspirational.

The 18-year-old engaged in an interaction after his match and let his true sentiments out about meeting the Spaniard. “I met Rafa today, so I’m a bit of, like, inspired by him,” Fonseca said with joy clearly evident on his face. When quizzed about what exactly Rafa told him, Fonseca detailed the interaction sharing how his insights for the sport have motivated and inspired him.

“Well actually I was with Alex (Michelsen) and Jakub (Mensik), and he said more of his, his experience which is a lot. And his mentality, the way he had that. He is a hardworker so it’s really nice and really inspired me today,” Fonseca added. In the pictures that emerged out of the tournament, Rafa was seen engaging with the budding players and participating in some discussions with them.