Image Credit: Official X/Rafael Nadal

Who Are Rafael Nadal’s Wife and Son? All About Rafa Nadal’s Beautiful Family

A closer look at the family behind one of tennis’s greatest legends, Rafael Nadal.

Image Credit: Official X/Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, the undisputed King of Clay, who announced his retirement after last year’s Davis Cup, was honored in a moving tribute at Roland Garros 2025. The 14-time French Open champion, who reigned supreme in Paris between 2005 and 2022, leaves behind a legacy few can rival. 92 career singles titles, 36 Masters 1000 trophies, and two Olympic gold medals representing Spain in Beijing and Rio de Janeiro.

The ceremony was rich with emotional moments, with Nadal’s family by his side and fellow legends Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer in attendance. But as cameras panned across the stands, fans saw Nadal’s wife, standing in the crowd with their son in her arms, a picture of grace and quiet pride. Though, who is she?

A so much emotional moment for the two grandmothers, the wife, the son and the sister of Rafael Nadal. pic.twitter.com/JLlK2EG7p4
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) May 25, 2025

Who is Rafael Nadal’s wife?

Rafael Nadal’s wife is Mery Xisca Perello, full name: Maria Francisca Perello Pascual. Their story began long ago, when they met through Rafa’s younger sister and started dating in 2005, the very year Nadal claimed his first French Open title. He was 19; she was just 17. Over the next 14 years, their relationship grew and in June 2019, they got engaged in Rome. And a few months later, in October, they were married in Mallorca, Spain.

Don Rafael Nadal Parera 👑
Proud wife, Mery 😍
Cutest little boy, Rafael Jr. 🥰
Although my heart hurts that Rafa is retiring, it also sings knowing that he gets all the time in the world to spend with them now ❤
But first, Malaga & Davis Cup. The Last Dance 🇪🇦#RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/f5suOdKnfc
— Mary Gorgens (@MaryGorgens) October 19, 2024

In October 2024, Nadal officially announced his retirement from professional tennis. In a heartfelt video message, he paid tribute to Mery:

“Mery, we have been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done. I think you’ve been the perfect travel companion during all these years of my career. To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the necessary energy to continue.”

Who is Rafael Nadal’s newborn baby?

Rafael Nadal’s son is Rafael Nadal Jr., born in October 2022. In August 2025, the couple announced one more child. He is named Miquel – after Mery’s father, who passed away in 2023.

In June 2022, Rafael and Mery shared the joyful news of her pregnancy. Just a few months later, on October 8, 2022, their son, Rafael Nadal Jr., was born in Mallorca. The birth came at a significant moment, just two weeks after Roger Federer, Nadal’s longtime rival and close friend, announced his retirement at the Laver Cup.

NACIÓ MIQUEL, EL SEGUNDO HIJO DE RAFAEL NADAL Y MERY PERELLÓ. 👶😍

¡Felicitaciones! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/cl6nOerPiJ
— ESPN Tenis (@ESPNtenis) August 9, 2025

In April 2025, the couple confirmed they were expecting again. Mery, then five months pregnant. Nadal has long been open about his desire to become a father. In an interview with HELLO!, before becoming a parent, he shared, “Obviously, I have the intention of forming a family. I love children and I would like my children to do what they like.”

Later, reflecting on the shift that fatherhood brought, he said, “It’s a radical change. No doubt about that. I think everyone that’s a father or a mother knows that it’s a change. You have to adapt to it.”

Rafa Nadal with his adorable son in Brisbane.

That little Babolat racquet is too precious.

On dad duty. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/2V6GbHorEP
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 11, 2024

What does Rafael Nadal’s wife do?

Mery, a graduate of the University of the Balearic Islands with a degree in business management (2006–2010), joined the Rafael Nadal Foundation in 2012. Over the years, she rose through the ranks, from project manager to CEO in November 2019.

The foundation, launched in 2008 by Nadal and his mother, Ana Maria Parera, is dedicated to helping children unlock the “transformative power of sport and education.” Operating in both Spain and India, it reflects the values Nadal has championed on and off the court.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal at the 2025 French Open – How Many Roland Garros Titles Has Rafael Nadal Won?

Rafael Nadal

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.