Congratulations are in order for retired Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, who has welcomed his second child with his wife, Maria Francisca Perello.
Maria, 37, welcomed her new bundle of joy, a boy, at the Quirónsalud Palmaplanas Hospital in Palma de Mallorca. The parents have also given their son the most poignant of names – Miquel.
© GettyAccording to the Europa Press news agency, their son’s name is a special tribute to Maria’s father, who passed away in April 2023 at the age of 63, after a prolonged illness.
As per The Bump, Miquel is a Hebrew name meaning “who resembles God?” and as the Hebrew version of the Biblical name, Michael, is the name of one of the archangels who signifies the triumph of good over evil.
Rafael and Maria’s expanding family
The announcement comes four months after Rafael, 39, and his wife announced they were expanding their family. They are already parents to three-year-old Rafael Jnr, whom the former tennis champ has spoken about publicly.
© Getty Images“Everything surprises you because everything is new,” he told E! News last March. “Especially the first kid you have, everything is 100 per cent new for my wife and for me. You learn every day, and every day is unexpected.”
He also revealed that, for him, becoming a father was always on the cards. “I have always been a kids guy,” he admitted. “I always enjoyed spending time with the kids. I had plenty of smaller cousins than me, so I had a lot of fun with them when they were babies.”
Rafael’s big change
Prior to the birth of baby Miquel, the 22-time major title-holder also admitted that welcoming a child into his life was a seismic change to adapt to – but only to a point.
© Getty Images“It’s a radical change, no doubt about that,” he confessed. “I think everyone who’s a father or a mother knows that it’s a change. You have to adapt to it.
“It doesn’t change me for a simple fact, because I know what my partner thinks. It would change me if I had a partner who didn’t want to travel and wanted to stay in Mallorca all the time with my son.”
© Getty ImagesHis eldest son, who has accompanied his wife to watch Rafael play tennis over the years, is set to receive a special title.
© GettyIn June, the sportsman was honoured by King Felipe of Spain with the title of the Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca for his contribution to sport. It’s a hereditary title meaning one his son, Rafael Jnr., will inherit.
