Rafael Nadal becomes a father for a second time in latest step post retirement

Rafael Nadal has become a father for the second time with his wife Mery Perello giving birth to their second child Miquel this past week, it has been confirmed by Spanish press.

Miquel was born two days ago on Thursday August 7th with the family according to the reports leaving the hospital today on Saturday. It was in April that they made the announcement that they were expanding their family further. Since then, Nadal's wife has been seen at the Laureus Awards and Disneyland Paris, the latter after Nadal received his incredible tribute at Roland Garros as she neared her due date.

Nadal and Perello were childhood sweethearts and welcomed their first child on October 8, 2022. They began their relationship when she was 17 and he was 19. It was also a relationship with roots in the Nadal family with his sister Maribel being a classmate of Mery at school and she has been beside him during the many ups and the few downs in his illustrious career which ended in 2024.

Nadal left tennis behind at the back end of last year playing the Davis Cup for the final time after attempting a grand return which in reality didn't produce the goods he wanted. He called time on his career after it became clear that he couldn't play to the level he wanted to anymore.

2005 when they met was a big year for Nadal who won Monte-Carlo, he was then crowned Roland Garros champion. He also began his relationship with Perello who was first seen with him in 2006. They have taken a low profile approach in the years since with Perello being by his side but of course unlike Nadal, she has not been in the limelight apart from being at his matches. They also do not post much on social media attempting to keep some semblance of privacy amid Nadal's status as a global tennis icon.

They tied the knot on October 19, 2019 in a private ceremony held in Pollenca. They welcomed their first child three years later also known as Rafa Jr.

"You are my best life partner. We couldn't have imagined in 2005 that we would be here 20 years later as a family. You have always been there for me , supporting me from a position that wasn't always easy. I hope to make you as happy as you have made me," he said during his illustrious ceremony at Roland Garros.

But he is a dad who said has it ingrained in him to be paternal having had lots of small cousins growing up. "I have always been a kids guy," he reflected last year. "I always enjoyed spending time with the kids, I had plenty of smaller cousins than me so I had a lot of fun with them when they were babies."

"I can say nothing negative," he added at the time about Rafa Jr. "I am lucky that for the moment the baby is doing very well. We are happy."

But also he called it a change that he had to get used to as per Hola. “It’s a radical change,” he said. “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. It doesn’t change me for a simple fact, because I know what my partner thinks. It would change me if I had a partner that didn’t want to travel and wanted to stay in Mallorca all the time with my son."

Congratulations to Rafael, Mery and their family on the news that they have become parents again!