Tennis great Rafael Nadal and wife Mery Perelló welcome second child months after announcing retirement
Tennis great Rafael Nadal has welcomed his second child with wife Maria Francisca 'Mery' Perelló months after announcing his retirement.
Reps for Spanish-born Nadal, 39, confirmed that he and his wife of five years had welcomed a son named Miquel. No other details are known but it is believed he was born on August 7.
The couple is already parents to a son, Rafael Jnr, who was born on October 8, 2022.
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Rafael Nadal and wife Maria Fransisca 'Mery' Perello have welcomed their second child. Instagram/@rafaelnadal
The new baby is believed to have been named after Perelló's late father who died in 2023.
Nadal was reportedly introduced to his wife by his younger sister Maria, who attended school with her.
They began dating in 2005, when he was 19 and she was 17.
Their relationship became public knowledge two years later, but Perelló has elected to stay out of the spotlight.
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Rafael Nadal and 'Mery' Perelló wed in 2022. Getty
HOLA! revealed the couple got engaged in May 2018, with reports that Nadal proposed during a romantic trip to Rome.
The two went on to wed during a lavish ceremony in Majorca in October 2019.
When asked in 2020 if they planned to start a family, Nadal replied, "I love children and I would like to form part of a family, and at the age we are now, we're not going to wait five years."
He announced they were expecting their first child during a 2022 press conference in the lead-up to Wimbledon.
"If everything goes well, I'm going to be a father," he said at the time.
Rafael Nadal with son Rafael Jnr during a ceremony in his honour at the 2025 French Open. Getty
Nadal announced in October 2024 he would retire from the game following the Davis Cup tournament in his native Spain the following month after a career that saw him win 22 Grand Slam titles.
Earlier this year he was honoured at the French Open in front of his wife and son, whom he later carried onto centre court.
He had previously paid tribute to his wife.
"My wife, Mery. We have been together for 19 years," he said in a video message announcing his retirement.
Rafael Nadal and his wife Maria Francisca 'Mery' Perelló have been together for 20 years this year. Corbis via Getty Images
"Thank you for everything you have done, I think you have been my perfect travel companion during all these years of my career.
"Coming home and seeing my son growing up every day has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the energy necessary to continue."
Rafael Jnr was in the stands with his mother when Nadal played his final match of his career during the Davis Cup quarter-final in November 2024.
In June, Spain's King Felipe VI marked his 10th anniversary on the throne by bestowing the title of 1st Marquess of Llevant de Mallorca on the tennis great.
Mery and Rafael Jnr during Nadal's final match. Getty
The new hereditary title will eventually pass down to Rafael Jnr.
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