Rafael Nadal is one of the most talented tennis players of all time. Since going pro in 2001, the 14-time French Open champ has won 92 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) titles, 22 Grand Slam titles, two Wimbledon titles, and two Olympic Gold Medals (among other achievements). He’s also reaped benefits from a wide variety of lucrative endorsement deals, including campaigns with brands like Nike, Santander, Emporio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, and Kia. But when it comes to his personal life, the Spanish superstar likes to keep things quiet. Here’s what we know about Rafael Nadal’s wife, Mery Perello.
Rafael Nadal And Mery Perello Have Been Married Since 2019
Mery Perello (sometimes referred to as Xisca) married Rafael Nadal in October of 2019. According to E! News, the couple wed in front of about 350 guests at a lavish ceremony in Majorca, Spain. They had been engaged since May of 2018, though the pair managed to keep their impending nuptials a secret from the public until early 2019.
While we don’t know much about the origins of Perello and Nadal’s relationship, the New York Post reports that they have been dating since 2005. The couple is careful to keep their romance out of the public eye, though Perello does show up in the stands to support her tennis star husband. She also sometimes pops up in pictures on Nadal’s Instagram feed, despite the fact that she steers clear of social media herself. “I prefer not to say much,” she once told The Telegraph. “It’s what works for me, and what works for Rafael and me as a couple.”
Nadal adds that his career is the only part of his life he likes to share with the public. “I’m already exposed enough in my professional life,” he says. “My loved ones and I like to live with a low profile.”
They’re Expecting Their First Child
Recently, the 36-year-old tennis champ revealed that he and Perello were expecting their first child. “If everything goes well, I’m going to be a father,” Nadal announced during a recent news conference. He also reiterated the fact that he’s not really comfortable speaking about fatherhood with the press. “I’m not used to talking about my private life. We live more peacefully with a lower profile. I don’t expect that my life will change much with it.”
But Nadal has been in the news quite a bit lately. In addition to the fact that he’s going to be a dad, the King of Clay has been dominating this year’s tennis season, setting multiple records and gearing up to play in the 2022 Wimbledon competition. His last Wimbledon win was all the way back in 2010.
But at the end of the day, Nadal admits that his wife and growing family mean much more to him than any tennis title. “The reality is simple,” he explained in a 2020 interview with ATP Tour. “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? That’s how I see it.”.