Rafael Nadal Stops Tennis Match So Frantic Mother Can Find Her Daughter

While Spanish ace Rafael Nadal may be a fierce competitor on the tennis court, he showed that he is really a softy at heart when he put his parental instincts on full display during a match.

At his home-island of Mallorca, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal stopped the game so that a mother can reunite with her lost child.

Nadal and his Spanish teammate Simon Solbas were facing off against American legend John McEnroe and Carlos Moya in a charity doubles match. Just as 30-year-old Nadal was about to serve, he noticed a commotion in the stands.

A woman in the crowd had become separated from her young daughter and was beginning to panic. Instead of ignoring the distraction, Nadal paused the match in front of a crowd of 7,000 so that his fans could help find the little girl.

The TV footage captured the frantic mother screaming the name “Clara” while standing next to a steward. Moments later, the frightened girl was spotted only a short distance away with bystanders alerting her mother.

Thankfully, the family was reunited. After hugging her crying child, the mother graciously waved to Nadal for the kind gesture.

Some bystanders in the crowd were more concerned with the parenting skills of the mother, rather than the kind gesture by Rafael Nadal. One onlooker stated, “Why [was] this mum so careless in the first place, not to keep an eye on her daughter, especially in crowded places. Luckily, she was found and [I] hope this will be a learning lesson for her.”

Regardless of whose fault it was, the story still had a happy ending. The results of the exhibition match were also in Nadal’s favor as he and Solbas won 3-6, 6-3, andn 10-8.

[H/T Daily Mail, Fox Sports]