Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has had a long and decorated career. He has won several titles along the way, chief among them being 22 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. As prolific as he has been on the court, he is very private when it comes to his personal life.
He guards his privacy fiercely and very little is known about his wife Maria Francisca “Xisxa” Perello. “I’m already exposed enough in my professional life,” Nadal said. “My loved ones and I like to live with a low profile.” added the Spanish star.
What we do know is that they dated for 14 years before tying the knot in 2019. During a press conference in 2022, Nadal confirmed that he was expecting his first child with his wife, Maria. She also celebrated her 35th birthday on July 7.
Who is Nadal’s better half Maria “Xisca” Perello?
From what little we know about Maria, she is from the same island as her husband, Mallorca. She was born on July 7, 1988. She attended the University of the Balearic Islands and has a degree in business management. Perello later attended ESADE for post-grad studies.
Reports claim that they met through friends and started dating in 2005 when Nadal was 19 and Maria was 17. She has been seen attending Rafa’s games only a handful of times over the years.
View this post on Instagram
In an interview in 2011, Xisxca spoke about Nadal’s tendencies to hyper-focus before a game. “He needs his space when he is competing, and just the idea of me hanging around and waiting on his needs all day tires me out,” she had said. “It would asphyxiate me. And then he would have to be worrying about me… No. If I followed him everywhere, I think there’s a risk we might stop getting along.” she added.
Maria is a very accomplished woman and has been working for the Rafael Nadal Foundation since 2012. She became the CEO of the Foundation in 2019. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees.
In the past, Nadal has opened up about having children of his own. The couple welcomed their first child in October 2022, a baby boy also named Rafael.