Spanish Tennis Star Rafael Nadal Welcomes His First Child

Rafael Nadal can now add “Dad” to his growing list of accomplishments!

The famed tennis pro and his wife, Mery ‘Xisca’ Perello, reportedly welcomed their first child on October 8 at a clinic in Mallorca, the Associated Press confirmed. The two have remained tight-lipped on their pregnancy and new arrival, with representatives for Nadal declining to comment on the birth.

Nadal previously confirmed his wife’s pregnancy during a press conference in June. “If everything goes well, I’m going to be a father,” Nadal said in his hometown of Mallorca. “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. At the moment, all has worked well for me, and I am not a friend of changing what works well.”

The proud new dad did previously hint at his excitement around growing a family back in 2020, though. In a conversation with British Tennis player and father Andy Murray, Nadal mentioned that without the routine of his tennis matches, he had been going to sleep as late as 3am during the lockdown. “Enjoy your late nights and lie-ins while you don’t have kids,” Murray said. Before Nadal responded, “I hope to be in your situation in not a very long period of time.”

Nadal and his wife met in their hometown when the tennis player was 19 and Parello was 17. The two dated for 14 years before getting engaged in Rome and married in 2019.

In a rare interview with The Sun in 2017, Nadal discussed wanting to expand his family. “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.”

Our best to the new family of three!