Who Is Rafael Nadal's Girlfriend? New Details On Maria 'Xisca' Perelló
They've been together since 2005.
instagram Whether you’re into sports or not, you have to admit that tennis can be pretty mesmerizing. And when you’re a fan of Rafael Nadal, there’s never any time to rest! He’s currently the number one player in men’s singles tennis, has won 17 Grand Slam singles titles, won gold at the 2008 Olympics, 33 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles, and won the Spain Davis Cup team in 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2011. And that’s just the beginning of his achievements.
But the athletes you see on the court have a personal life as well. I mean, who else would you expect to support them when they need it most? Luckily, he has plenty of love and support from his lady, but who is Rafael Nadal's girlfriend? Here are 8 things to know about Maria “Xisca” Perelló.
1. She’s an insurance worker and businesswoman.
But in addition to this work, she’s also the project director for the Rafa Nadal Foundation, which Nadal launched ten years ago. The charity helps socially disadvantaged children all around the world. In 2016, she was named the Director of Social Integration for the foundation.
2. She doesn’t have social media.
It may seem like she’s behind the times, but she actually has a good reason for staying out of the spotlight. She doesn’t want fame because “It's not a world I want to be part of, nor do I think Rafa would have chosen to be with a woman who looked for that in life,” she’s said.
3. She supports him all over the world.
It’s hard being the girlfriend of an athlete, especially one as prominent as Nadal. She was in the audience at Wimbledon back in July, and most recently, at the US Open. She watched her beau defeat Dominic Thiem in the longest match of the US Open so far!
4. But she doesn’t go to every match.
Again, there’s very good reason for her to not attend every single match. Why? Because she believes it preserves their relationship. In an interview with The Telegraph in 2011, she said, “Traveling together everywhere, even if I could, would not be good either for him or for me. He needs his space when he is competing, and just the idea of me hanging around and waiting on his needs all day tires me out. It would asphyxiate me. And then he would have to be worrying about me... No. If I followed him everywhere, I think there's a risk we might stop getting along.”
5. Her lack of public appearances is why they work so well.
She recounted a story of how Nadal asked her to attend a sponsorship dinner with him, but she didn’t go. “He asked me if I wanted to go, but I chose not to. I stayed in our hotel. When Rafael got back he said, ‘Thank God you didn’t come’. The place had been swarming with photographers. For me to have gone would have meant stepping into that celebrity world."
6. They’ve been together for a long time.
The couple grew up in the same place — Majorca, Spain — and have been dating since 2005. Apparently, they also knew each other for a number of years before becoming romantically involved.
7. She seems to be everything he wants.
When asked the secret to a long-term relationship, Nadal was frank: “I tell you how we do: comprehension, respect and especially a great independence... I don't like heavy people, the ones who always criticize.” No wonder they’ve been together for quite some time.
8. They want to have children.
However, Nadal worries that his travel schedule may prevent them from kids anytime soon. “I would love to have children, boys, girls... I’m a person who loves kids and I’m a family guy. But also I tell you that the reality is... the years keep passing... I would like to start to do all of this when my sporting life determines it. I think it’s also above all about looking after the kids. I don’t know if it [traveling] is ideal,” he said in an interview with Metro.
In an earlier 2015 interview with La Nacion, he confirmed that it’s something he and Perelló have to be on the same page: “I will have children, I do not know how much. I love children, but you do not decide unilaterally; that’s a two-person thing. I would like to have several children, but I cannot tell you if two, or three, or four.”
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.