With his tennis career throwing his life into the spotlight, Rafael Nadal made the conscious decision to keep his romantic relationship with wife, Maria ‘Mery’ Francisca Perelló Pascual private.
“My loved ones and I like to live with a low profile,” he once explained during a press conference a long time ago.
But their relationship with two children seem to be taking centre stage in Rafael’s upcoming Netflix documentary, Rafa.
However, there are many things we already know about their relationship, from Rafael’s retired living, Mery supporting from the stands, and when they first met.
And it’s a cute story!
Rafael met his now-wife when he was just a teenager, first connecting through his younger sister Maria Isabel. Maria were school friends in Mallorca, Spain where Rafael is from.
In 2005, they began dating when he was 19 and she was 17. At this time, Rafael was already a tennis professional, and had been since he was 15. Just one year after his debut,he became the youngest tennis player to win a professional match.
They went public in 2007, with Mery joining her boyfriend at public events.
In 2010, she became an undergraduate in business management before continuing her studies at ESADE, a graduate school in Barcelona.
But when Rafael’s career really took off, she began assisting his business Fundación Rafa Nadal – which supports socially disadvantaged children and teenagers by providing them with education, sports programs, and personal development opportunities.
She remains at the business today, currently serving as its Director.
In 2019, Rafael dropped to one knee and asked for Mery’s hand during a romantic holiday in Rome, Italy.
Given the public’s obsession with the lovebirds, rumours almost immediately began swirling about their wedding. In a rare statement about his personal life, his spokesperson called the reports “fake news.”
“Normally we don’t speak about Rafa’s private life, ever,” the spokesperson told PEOPLE. “However this information is absolutely incorrect and fake news from non-credible sources.”
These reports claimed Rafael and Mery would be getting married in Mallorca in June that same year. While the month was incorrect, the pair actually did return to their home town for a romantic wedding in October 2019.
Tying the knot at the La Fortaleza castle in Port de Pollença, Majorca, Mery wore a long-sleeved gown by Rosa Clara, a Barcelona-based designer.
Rafael and Mery basked in wedding bliss for as long as they could until the tennis legend revealed that “if all goes well, I’m going to be a father” during a press conference in June 2022.
“I don’t expect that my life will change much with it,” he said.
On October 8, 2022, they welcomed their first child together: Rafael Jr.
This was a long-time coming for Rafael, who once confessed his dreams of having children many times prior.
“I have the intention of forming a family. I love children and I would like my children to do what they like,” he previously told Hello!.
He also told The Sun: “I would love to have children: boys, girls… I’m a person who loves kids and I’m a family guy.”
A few years later in August 2025, they welcomed their second child: Miquel. The latest addition to the Nadal family was named after Mery’s father who passed away in 2023 following a lengthy illness.
However, before Miquel, Rafael announced his retirement from tennis on October 10, 2024. In which, he tributed his loving wife.
“My wife, Mery, and I have been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done. You have been my perfect travel companion during all these years of my career,” Rafael said in his retirement statement.
“Coming home every day and seeing how my son is growing has been a force that has kept me alive and given me the energy necessary to continue.”
