Rafael Nadal's secret romantic proposal revealed days after Australian Open loss
Just days after his Australian Open final loss to Novak Djokovic, It has been revealed that tennis great Rafael Nadal is secretly engaged to his long-term partner Mery Perello, also known as Xisca.
According to reports by HOLA!, the 17-time Grand Slam champion proposed to Perello back in May during a trip to Rome after a 14-year relationship. The couple, who kept the engagement private for eight months, is set to tie the knot later this year in Mallorca, Nadal’s hometown.
Nadal had previously told HELLO! about his hopes of having children with Perello.
“Obviously, I have the intention of forming a family,” said Nadal.
In a rare public appearance, Perello was spotted supporting the 32-year-old in the stands at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena last week for the Australian Open final, where he lost to Djokovic. This year's tournament marked her first appearance courtside since 2005.
In an interview with The Telegraph in 2011, Perello revealed why she did not appear at most of Nadal's matches.
“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,” Perello 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.”
The Spaniard’s participation in the Australian Open marked his return to professional tennis after having to cut his 2018 season short to get an ankle surgery.
“I have been going through tough times over the past year,” Nadal said in a press conference after the final match. “I only played in nine events and had to retire from two, and I was not able to play professional match since the US Open.
“I will keep fighting and keep practising to give myself better chances in the future.”