There’s a new Nadal taking the court… And his name is Joan Nadal Vives.

The 16-year-old tennis player, the son of Toni and cousin of Rafael Nadal, has made his debut as a professional player.

Joan, a left-handed player like his cousin Rafa, is one of Rafa’s uncle Toni’s two sons.

In his first professional tennis match, Joan lost 6-1, 6-3 to Turkey’s Kuzey Cekirge, who is ranked no. 1312, in the first round of a tournament ITF held in Manacor.

Joan’s registration into the Manacor event happened thanks to a wildcard. In his career as a junior, Joan had good results, but it must be remembered that Rafa, at 16, was very close to the top-200 in the ATP rankings, while 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, his countryman, is currently very close to entering the Top-100.

Joan has an older brother who is 17 years old, named Toni, like his father, who also plays tennis. Twenty years after his cousin Rafa did it in an F10 held in Madrid, Joan surely will never forget the day of his debut as a professional tennis player.

Curiously, Rafael Nadal started his professional career with a defeat against Spanish player Guillermo Platel in straight sets.