Rafael Nadal's Wife Explained Why She Refuses To Go To His Games
Rafael Nadal has won no fewer than 22 Grand Slams during his glittering career to date, becoming one of the most decorated tennis players of his or indeed any generation. But you might be surprised to learn that the sportsman’s wife has very rarely seen him lift a trophy in person. Yes, the champ’s other half Mery refuses to attend his matches.
La Fortaleza
Mery and Nadal walked down the aisle in 2019 on the Spanish island of Majorca. They said “I do” at the same fortress, La Fortaleza, that was famously seen in the BBC’s hit TV drama The Night Manager. This was also the same venue at which another sportsman, Welsh soccer international Gareth Bale, had got hitched to Emma Rhys-Jones the year previously.
King of Spain
Approximately 350 guests were there to witness the coming together of Nadal and his wife, who have been a couple for longer than you may think. This list included Juan Carlos I, the one-time king of Spain, and Juan Monaco, another professional tennis player from Argentina. It’s unlikely, though, that the bride would have seen much of the latter on the tennis circuit.
Early starter
The groom, on the other hand, would have bumped into Monaco regularly. Nadal has been a tennis professional since the age of just 15 after all. Yes, having taken up the sport with his uncle when he was barely out of diapers, the Spaniard spent his high-school years winning trophy after trophy. And in 2004 he made headlines for becoming the youngest player to make it through to Wimbledon’s third round men’s draw since former champion Boris Becker.
World number one
Nadal picked up his first Grand Slam aged just 19 at the French Open. And having scooped another seven singles titles on the same surface that same year, the Spaniard was soon hailed as the “King of Clay.” In 2008 Nadal competed in Wimbledon’s longest-ever final — beating Roger Federer in the process — and made it right to the pinnacle of the game: he was ranked world number one.
