Rafael Nadal and Mery Perelló Welcome Second Child: Baby Miquel Arrives After Retirement
Hi, I’m Avery Sinclair. Can’t wait to see how this one plays out.
Rafael Nadal and his wife Mery Perelló have quietly expanded their post-tennis life with a new tiny human. Sources confirm that the couple welcomed their second child, a son named Miquel, in the first week of August. Multiple outlets, including People and E! News, reported the birth and noted that the name Miquel likely honors Mery’s father, who passed away in 2023 after a brief illness.
Yes, timing is everything. Nadal, 39, retired from professional tennis in October of last year after an illustrious 23-year career that included 22 Grand Slam titles and a record 14 French Open victories. He and Mery, 37, tied the knot in 2019 and are already parents to Rafael Jr., born in October 2022. So congratulations are in order: Nadal has swapped center court for center of the nursery, and judging by the social and press notes he left when he announced retirement, he seems to be enjoying the downgrade from jet lag and press conferences to diaper duty and baby milestones.
When Nadal announced his retirement, he used his video statement to heap praise on his family, thanking Mery for being his “perfect travel companion” during nearly two decades of globetrotting and grind. He reflected on how seeing Rafael Jr. at home reinvigorated him for the final year of competition, calling his family “everything to me” and insisting he left the sport with “absolute peace of mind” and “having given my best.” If parenthood brings the same level of obsession he brought to clay court rallies, the Nadal household will soon have a strict naptime schedule and a well-rehearsed ritual for snack time.
Despite the fairytale highlights reel, Nadal has been candid about parenting being a learning curve. In an interview with E! News in March 2024, he admitted that becoming a father the first time felt like being handed a manual written in invisible ink: everything was new and surprising, and he and Mery were learning day by day. He also noted that he has always been fond of children, an admission likely cribbed from a childhood filled with cousins to boss around.
Look, there’s nothing scandalous here, just a major athlete transitioning into a very normal human milestone: more baby bottles, less trophy polishing. But the personal angle is the story. Miquel’s name reportedly honors Mery’s late father, which adds a bittersweet layer to the family joy and underscores how family ties have been central to Nadal’s post-career messaging. Between retirement reflections and newborn cuddles, the former world number one is clearly settling into life beyond baseline heroics.
This birth also nestles Nadal into a broader celebrity baby boom this summer, joining a lineup of famous parents who announced additions in 2025. Notable contemporaries include Nell Hudson, Calvin Harris and Vick Hope, Wilmer Valderrama, and Tim Tebow, among others, each putting their own spin on parenting headlines while Rafael focuses on familial normalcy away from the racket.
So what now? Expect a slow trickle of family photos, carefully curated social media gratitude posts, and perhaps a few public appearances where Nadal introduces the newest junior in full Mediterranean stoicism. Don’t hold your breath for wild lifestyle changes or a return to competitive tennis; Rafael emphasized that he left the sport satisfied and fulfilled. He seems set to trade Grand Slam glory for playground glory, and honestly, who can blame him.
And to wrap it up with something resembling a zinger: newborns do not care about legacy, rankings, or championship plaques. They care about milk, warmth, and which parent sings the go-to lullaby. Welcome to the next match, Rafa. Try not to lose your serve.
That’s today’s dose of reality. You’re welcome.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People, E! News
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
