Rafael Nadal has accomplished a lot in his life, but one of his happiest moments is likely the day he said “I Do” to his wife, Mery ‘Xisca’ Perelló. The couple has been an example of a marriage full of love and support, and on October 19, they celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary.
The parents, who just celebrated their son, Rafael Jr’s first birthday on October 8, 2022, tied the knot in 2019. They dated for 14 years before making walking down the aisle. The family is very private, but the details that have been released about their relationship are very sweet. Mary was 14 when her best friend at school, Rafa’s sister, Maribel Nadal Parera, reportedly introduced them. They are the definition of high school sweethearts.
They decided to get married while on vacation in Rome in May 2018, but it wasn’t a traditional proposal. He explained on 60 Minutes, “When you’ve been together for 15 years, you don’t need to talk it through much.“
“It was just a case of, ‘So, are we going to get married at some point?’ And ‘yes, I guess so’.” The couple kept the happy news private for the first eight months of their engagement.
Their wedding was also private but they made sure it was special, taking place there in their hometown of Mallorca, Spain. The venue was the 17th-century fortress known as La Fortaleza. Mery wore a long-sleeved gown by Barcelona-based bridal designer Rosa Clara. Per Majorca Daily, a “small army” of photographers camped out at vantage points across Puerto Pollensa waiting for a photo but left empty-handed.
From newlyweds to parents
The happy couple’s life changed forever when Mery became pregnant with their first child. He shared the announcement in June 2022. He was welcomed into the world just two weeks after Nadal and his teammate Roger Federer fell short in a doubles match.
The 37-year-old has a life and family at home to keep him busy, but he still has his eyes on tennis. After suffering from a hip injury in January that required surgery, he has spent most of the year rehabilitating.
Per Bleacher Report, the legend is trying his best to play in the 2024 Australian Open in January. Last week, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley appeared on Nine Network’s Today Show and confirmed that he had been talking to the Spaniard. “He’s not going to come into the event unless he thinks he can win it. He’s not going to just show up to play, he’s going to show up to win,” he said.
Nadal took to X to confirm that he was practicing every day. “I appreciate the vote of confidence from the Australian Open… I am practicing every day and working hard to come back ASAP,” he wrote.
If he does come back in January, we may not see Mery in the stands. It’s well known that she does not attend all of his matches. The 33-year-old explained to The Telegraph in 2011, “He needs his space when he is competing, and just the idea of me hanging around and waiting on his needs all day tires me out.” “It would asphyxiate me. And then he would have to be worrying about me,” she continued, adding, “No. If I followed him everywhere, I think there’s a risk we might stop getting along.”