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Rafael Nadal addresses wife Mery Perello's pregnancy for the first time - 'I'm going to be a father'

The tennis star confirmed he will be playing at Wimbledon

Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
June 17, 2022
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Rafael Nadal has broken his silence following the news of his wife Mery Perello's pregnancy earlier this week.

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Speaking at a press conference in Mallorca on Friday, the 36-year-old - who revealed he intends to take part in Wimbledon for the first time in three years - touched upon his family's joy after being congratulated.

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"If all goes well, I'm going to be a father," he told reporters. "I'm not used to talking about my private life. We live calmer with a lower profile. I don't expect that my life will change much with it."

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This will be the first child for Rafael and his wife Mery, who have been in a committed relationship for 17 years and married in October 2019.

He previously hinted to HELLO! that he would love to have children with Mery, explaining: "Obviously, I have the intention of forming a family. I love children and I would like my children to do what they like."

Rafael is currently ranked world No. 4 in men's singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals. He has won 22 Grand Slam titles, the most in history for a male player. He has also won Wimbledon twice and a record 14 French Open titles.

rafael nadal maria francisca perello event© Photo: Getty Images

This is set to be the couple's first child

The tennis star, who recently lifted the French Open title against Casper Ruud, finally confirmed that he intends to at Wimbledon later this month.

"My intention is to play Wimbledon," he said. "I have trained well this week and my departure on Monday for London is to that effect. But my foot situation must be evaluated day after day, so at this moment I don't have this certainty of being able to play. I just know that I want to play the tournament, but we must also be careful."

He added: "Now it's too early to give a definitive answer. In the first days I had complicated feelings, day after day I got better. One more week of training in London and I hope to be able to play at Wimbledon and to be competitive to do so."

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