Rafael Nadal And His Wife Are Expecting Their First Child, He Confirms
After rumors circulated all week about Rafael Nadal and his wife Mery “Xisca” Perelló expecting their first child together, the tennis star finally confirmed the news on Friday that he will officially be a father.
“If all goes well, I’m going to be a father,” Nadal said, via Sky Sports.
The couple, who married in 2019, decided to keep their exciting news private for a little while. However, the Spanish publication Hola! released the news early at the beginning of the week. Nadal’s reasoning for keeping the news a secret at first was due to the fact that he likes to keep his personal life private, just like many other athletes out there.
“I’m already exposed enough in my professional life,” Nadal said. “My loved ones and I like to live with a low profile.”
The Spaniard is in the middle of a historic 2022 season. He’s already captured the first two majors of the year, the Australian Open and the French Open, and then he announced he plans to play at Wimbledon in a couple weeks. This gives him a chance to become just the sixth tennis player in history to achieve the calendar Grand Slam.
Additionally, the world No. 4 now holds the record for most Grand Slam titles in men’s tennis history with 22. He leads Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer by two titles.
Will fatherhood keep him off the court at all?
“I don’t know how it will change my life, I have no experience (being a father), but I don’t plan for it to mean a change in my professional career,” Nadal said.
The 36-year-old is expected to play in Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, June 27. He continues to deal with left foot pain, but he hopes to keep playing for as long as his body will let him.
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