Rafael Nadal to become a father for a second time as his wife is pregnant, according to a report

Rafael Nadal’s family is set to grow in the coming months as his wife, Mery Perello, is expecting their second child.

Spanish magazine Revista SEMANA has broken the exclusive that Perello “is already sporting a prominent baby bump that’s impossible to hide” and the “news has already been shared with their loved ones”.

The report added, “the 36-year-old went out to run errands in her native Mallorca, where she lives with her husband, and found it impossible to hide her pregnancy, despite choosing an all-black look to minimize her pregnancy”.

The couple has one child, a son named Rafael Junior, who was born in 2022.

Tennis great Nadal and Perello started dating when they were still in their teens and they became engaged in January 2019 before getting married at La Fortaleza castle in Mallorca in October that year.

In June 2022 it was reported that the Nadal family were expecting their first child and Perello gave birth to a baby boy named Rafael Jr. on October 8.

Nadal admitted that becoming a father and playing professional tennis was not easy as it meant he was constantly away from his family, either playing in tournaments, travelling or practicing.

“It’s a different approach compared to usual,” the Spaniard said. “Always has been tough to leave home, but this time even more.

“It’s quite interesting how even after two or three weeks, to leave your son at home and not be able to see him, it’s interesting how even after only three weeks knowing him, you start missing him.

“All the changes are difficult in this life, and you need to adapt to it.”

But his injury woes in 2023 meant he was able to spend a lot of time at home with his wife and son before he made his comeback at the start of 2024 at the Brisbane International where young Rafa saw his father in action for the first time.

Having indicated that the 2024 season would be his last one as a professional player, wife Perello and Rafa Jr also accompanied the former world No 1 to the Barcelona Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open, French Open and 2024 Paris Olympics.

The curtain came down on his career at the Davis Cup Finals in October last year with his family in the stands in Malaga when he played his final match for Spain.

When baby No 2 arrives later in 2025, the 22-time Grand Slam winner will be able to spend more time with the little one now that he has retired.