‘Regular father’ Rafael Nadal on parenthood: ‘More tired, sleeping less’

Tennis News

Shahida Jacobs
November 24, 2022

Rafael Nadal has described himself as just a “regular father” who is enjoying very moment with his newborn son.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner and his wife Mery Perello became first-time parents on October 8 after Perello gave birth in Mallorca.

The new parents have given very little info about their bundle of joy with Nadal taking to Twitter to thank fans for their messages of support before adding: “We are very happy and everyone is very well.”

The Spanish couple haven’t even revealed the name of their son publicly, but Nadal was asked about life with a newborn baby during his exhibition tour of Latin America and replied: “I am more tired as I am sleeping less than before.

“[Of course] there’s a new concern in my life different from everything I have experienced until now.

“I am living naturally, I’m a regular father who experiences emotions and happiness, trying to enjoy every moment spent with my son.”

Nadal spent several weeks at home following the birth of his son as he only returned to action at the beginning of November for the Paris Masters, but he lost his opening match.

He then took part in the ATP Finals and also lost his first two matches in the round-robin phase before beating Casper Ruud in his final match of the tournament.

After the match he joked that he had finally broken his duck after becoming a parent.

“I’ve lost three straight, I won [as a father],” he said.

Nadal took on Ruud in the first exhibition match in Buenos Aires on Wednesday and they will play another four encounters before he will head home to his wife and son.

But he won’t be in Mallorca for too long as he will be travelling to Australia at the end of December.

“I’m going to be back home and try to enjoy little bit the fact that I will be home for a while, family and work. Well, work? For me is not work, is practice. Just practice, try to make the right plan to be able to stay healthy enough and to stay ready for the beginning of the next season,” he explained after the ATP Finals.

“How early [will I go to Australia]? I can’t tell you yet because, as you can imagine now, my life changed a little bit. I don’t make unilateral decisions (smiling). I need to check a little bit.

“If the United Cup starts 29th, I hope to be playing about 1st or 31st, 1st of January. 27th, I don’t know. That’s going to be the idea, if nothing goes wrong.”

READ MORE: Rafael Nadal becomes a father: What advice did Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray give Rafa?

Rafael Nadal