Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has retired from the sport after playing his final match – and it will likely delight his wife and infant son who now get to spend more time with him.
The tennis legend hung up his racket on Tuesday when Spain suffered defeat to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals. And despite being one of the biggest names in sport, Nadal has always strived to keep his personal life private.
However, some questions about his affairs have crossed boundaries in the past and even led to tensions with the media. Now, as he closes one of the most successful chapters in sports history, both he and his family are ready to embrace his retirement.
Mirror Sport takes an in-depth look at Nadal’s marriage and his wife’s more modest approach to his career – not to mention one instance of the media getting too close to the tennis icon’s personal life.
Explicit response
One reporter found himself on the wrong side of Nadal after suggesting his 2019 marriage to long-term partner Xisca could negatively impact his play. It was after the Spaniard’s defeat to Alexander Zverev at the 2019 ATP Finals that the 38-year-old had to ask whether the journalist was being serious.
“Okay. I’m surprised, it’s a big surprise for me you ask me this after I have been with the same girl for 15 years and having a very stable and normal life,” said an irate Nadal. “Doesn’t matter if you put a ring on your finger or not. In my personal way, I am a very normal guy.”
The 14-time French Open-winner had a cheeky dig at the journalist regarding his 30th wedding anniversary, questioning if he was unsure about his spouse before they wed. But Nadal’s patience wore thin as he dismissed the line of questioning.
“Okay. We move to Spanish, because that’s bulls***,” he said. “Thank you very much.”
Wife‘s tennis outlook
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Xisca Perello, Nadal’s partner of 17 years and a key figure in his tennis foundation, has always preferred to stay out of the limelight. She has rarely appeared at his matches over the years – unlike other players’ partners – and she’s been quite clear about her reasons.
“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 confessed to The Telegraph in 2011. “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.”
Retirement plans
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With Nadal’s retirement from tennis now a reality, speculation is rife over his future pursuits and how he’ll spend his spare time. A keen fisherman and golfer, Nadal may also consider a business venture hinted at by his uncle Toni.
Nadal’s former coach previously told Marca: “If they offer him the position of director of [Real] Madrid, he will surely say yes. He likes football, but he doesn’t understand why my team, which is Barca, touches it, passes it… He has his life focused, he has an academy and he will get more involved.”
Nadal himself has openly admitted his desire to take over Florentino Perez’s role at Real Madrid. However, he may have to earn some more experience in football circles before taking on such a major position.
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