Rafael Nadal Welcomes First Child. Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach Toni spoke for the first time since the world number 2 and his wife Mery Perello became parents.
The two reportedly welcomed a boy who was named “Rafael” last weekend. To Europpa Press, Toni stated that the small family was fine.
The world number 2 has not played an ATP tournament since the US Open after Perello is said to have struggled with her first pregnancy and admits she faced a tough personal situation when she came to the Laver Cup for Roger Federer’s farewell.
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It remains to be seen whether the Spaniard will play again this season, after he is still registered at the Paris Masters and qualified for the ATP Finals. But Toni has now revealed how confident he is that the 36-year-old will continue to play the role of a father during his time at the ATP tournament.
“He is fine, he is excited, now waiting, he knows that there is little to be done and he is looking forward to things going well,” said Toni giving an update on his nephew.
“Mary should rest, but nothing in particular.”
Toni thinks that the 2022 French Open champion will be able to play tennis as well as play a fatherly role like his Big Three rivals, that difficulties will come when the world number 2 heads to Australia at the start of the 2023 season.
“I think he will do it very normally. He’s not a special guy,” Toni added of Nadal playing the role of a father while still playing tennis.
“Djokovic, Federer has done it and footballers do it constantly. Of course first of all, I imagine that when you have to go to Australia, it will be a little difficult to be separated from his family, son and wife. But in the end, it’s something you have to pay for.”
And Toni joked that the 2022 Australian Open champion won’t be as good a father as he was a tennis player because of his skills on the court.
“I imagine he will be a good father, I also imagine that he will not be as good a father as when he was an athlete, because as an athlete, he is one of the best athletes in the world,” joked Toni.
Rafael Nadal will still be seen on the court before the end of the season after he announced that he would be playing an exhibition event in South America with world number 3 Casper Ruud. The two tennis stars are scheduled to visit Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil during November and December.
