Rafael Nadal, a former Spanish professional tennis player, has won 22 Grand Slam men’s singles and 92 ATP-level singles titles. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranked him world No. 1 for 209 weeks.
Recently, he has been following his parental journey with his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, to their first son, Rafael Jr., born on October 8, 2022.
Highlights
- Rafael Nadal’s sister introduced him to Maria Francisca (Mery) Perello Pascual, and they began dating in 2005.
- He commented on not starting a family early but reflected on the unpredictability of life during his ongoing tennis career.
- Maria is a supportive wife who left her sports marketing career and decided to help her husband with off-court business.
Rafael Nadal Parera was a leading figure in men’s tennis alongside Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for nearly two decades. Together, they are known as the Big Three.
His uncle, Toni Nadal, a Spanish tennis coach, introduced him to tennis at age 3. He began playing with his uncle at the Manacor Tennis Club.
His uncle trained him hard during solo practice sessions, and he admitted to returning home from tennis lessons crying. But his parents knew that was best for him and his prospects.
Later, at age 8, he won an under-12 regional tennis championship, and his uncle encouraged him to play left-handed for a natural advantage on the tennis court.
Rafael turned professional at 14 in 2001 and began playing the qualifying draws of professional tournaments.
He defeated former Grand Slam tournament champion Pat Cash in a clay-court exhibition match 2001 and made his pro debut in the main draws at the Futures in Madrid.
On October 10, 2024, he announced his retirement after playing in the Davis Cup Finals. He lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals.
Rafael Nadal And His Wife’s Beautiful Journey As Parents
The former Spanish professional tennis player Rafael Nadal often spoke about how fatherhood brought joy and challenges.
His new life as a father keeps him on his toes, and he has expressed that everything surprises him because everything is new.
Aye, my heart ❤
— Mary Gorgens (@MaryGorgens) November 17, 2024
Rafa in Malaga preparing for his last dance. He looks so happy & relaxed 👑 And Mery & Rafa Jr are there! Look at the little prince! He's such a cutie 😍 The memories he will have to look back on one day of Papa's last tournament 🥰
📸: ESPN#RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/3yMTz6E7CB
Despite the challenges, Rafael and his wife love their life as a new parent. They welcomed Rafael Jr. on October 8, 2022.
Especially the first kid you have, everything is 100 percent new for my wife and for me. So you learn everyday, and every day is unexpected.
Rafael Nadal expressed in a press conference.
Rafael addressed his luck and said everything was okay and the baby was doing well. He grew up family-oriented and shared that he has always looked forward to parenthood.
He has been a kid person and had a lot of fun with smaller cousins when they were babies.
The retired player has been open about his family and personal life as a priority.
The reality is simple: You can have all the titles you want, but if you don’t have the capacity to be able to enjoy life with people that you love, and that love you, what does anything else matter?
Rafael mentioned in an interview iwth ATP Tour.
Rafael Nadal And Maria Francisca Perello Relationship Timeline
The 22 Grand Slam Men’s singles winner Rafael began dating Maria Francisca (Mery) Perello Pascual in 2005. His sisters introduced him to her when she was 17.
However, they only formalized their relationship publicly in 2007 and engaged on a romantic holiday in Rome in January 2019.
They married in October 2019, after dating for 14 years, at the La Fortaleza castle in Port de Pollenca, Majorca, in front of 350 guests.
Rafael commented on not starting a family early. He expressed a desire to have three children in the future, reflecting on the unpredictability of life during his ongoing tennis career.
I would love to have children: boys, girls … I’m a person who loves kids and I’m a family guy. But also I tell you that the reality is, the years keep passing, I would like to start to do all of this when my sporting life determines it. I think it’s also above all about looking after the kids. I don’t know if it [traveling] throughout the year and having children] is ideal.
Rafael Nadal had mentioned.
The married couple announced they were expecting their first child in June 2022 and gave birth to a baby boy in Mallorca.
Furthermore, Maria earned an undergraduate degree in business management from the University of the Balearic Islands and attended ESADE.
She was a sports marketer in London, but due to her husband’s career, she decided to help his off-court business.
She joined the Rafa Nadal Foundation as a project manager in April 2012 and became its CEO in November 2019.
Although Maria is a supportive wife, she often stays behind while Rafael travels for his tournaments. She had stated that there was a risk they might stop getting along if she followed him everywhere.
Additional Information
- Rafael Nadal, the son of Ana Maria Parera Femenias and Sebastian Nadal Homar, was born on June 3, 1986, in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain.
- His father owns an insurance company, a glass company, and a restaurant, whereas his mother gave up on her perfume shop to raise him and his younger sister, María Isabel.
- He was raised a Catholic but now identifies as an agnostic atheist.
- His net worth is estimated at $220 million as of 2024.
