He’s the Prince of the Court – But Who is Rafael Nadal’s Adorable Mini-Me Son?

Rafael Nadal is a father to one baby boy.

The tennis star — who holds 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, including a record 14 French Open titles — shares his first and only child with his wife, Mery “Xisxa” Perelló. The couple welcomed him in October 2022 in the town where they reside in Spain.

Nadal first revealed that he and his wife would be expanding their family during a press conference in Palma de Mallorca in June 2022. “If all goes well, I’m going to be a father,” he said at the time.

The Spanish tennis pro said he kept the pregnancy news under wraps for as long as he did, because he prefers to keep details on his personal life private. But he did share a few details at the time about what might lie ahead for him as a parent and athlete.

He was born in October 2022

Nadal and Perelló welcomed a baby boy, their first child together, on Oct. 8, 2022. According to APand Spanish media reports, he was born in a clinic on Mallorca, an island in Spain where the couple lives.

He was born two weeks after one of Nadal’s most memorable matches

The arrival of their baby boy came two weeks after Nadal’s emotional final match with friend and rival Roger Federer, who at 41 capped off his career in a doubles match alongside Nadal for Team Europe in the Laver Cup in London in September 2022.

He’s kept out of the public eye

Despite his rare sightings alongside his famous father, Nadal chooses to keep his baby’s personal life private. Even before his son was born, the tennis star explained to reporters why he kept his wife’s pregnancy under wraps for a while before announcing the exciting news.

“I’m already exposed enough in my professional life,” the famed tennis player said at the time. “My loved ones and I like to live with a low profile.”