Maria Francisca Perello who is also known as Xisca Perello tied the knot with Rafael Nadal back in 2019. The two have been together since their childhood. The couple has kept their private life secure as they cannot be seen much on the media. The two have been madly in love with each other.
We take a look at who is Xisca Perello and how did it all start with Rafael Nadal.
Also read: Who is Karen Khachanov’s wife- Here’s everything you need to know
How did Maria Francisca Perello meet Rafael Nadal?
Maria was born in Manacor, Spain which happens to be the birthplace of Rafael Nadal as well. The two have known each other since a very young age. She is the only daughter of an entrepreneur and a municipal employee here in Parma.
The couple came in contact with each other as Rafael Nadal’s sister is also a friend of Xisca. The couple started dating when they both went to the University of Balearic islands in 2005. At that time Maria was 17 years old and Rafael Nadal was 19 years old.
Maria completed college and soon she took a job in London. She was a sports marketer for a company there. But later as Rafa’s career rose to the sky, she left her job and joined Rafa’s institution as the Director for strategy and relations.
Rafael Nadal and Maria Perello’s Wedding
Having been together for more than a decade, the two finally decided to be together for a lifetime and tied knots with each other in the year 2019. The wedding happened just after a month of their engagement.
The wedding was very royal and it was witnessed by approximately 350 guests that were invited to their wedding. It was a surprise to see that Rodger Federer, one of his best friends on and off the field was the one who was not invited to the wedding. This sparked some controversy but this was soon put on to an end by the two superstars.
Rafael Nadal expecting his first child with Maria Perello
On being asked about the possibility of starting a family, Rafael Nadal said “I would love to have children: boys, girls… I’m a person who loves kids and I’m a family guy.” After being together for close to 16 years, Nadal and Maria are finally expecting a baby.
Fresh after his French Open glory in 2022, he revealed in an interview that his wife was pregnant with their first child. He said, “If all goes well, I’m going to be a father. I’m not used to talking about my personal life, prefer to keep a low profile. I don’t anticipate this meaning a change to my professional life.”
Why is Maria Perello absent from most of Rafael Nadal’s matches?
Maria revealed that she does not prefer to be present for most of Rafael’s matches. She said that this could distract him from playing his game. Another reason she tells for not attending the match was to preserve their relationship.
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An interview back in 2011 with Maria happened when she revealed this.“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.”
But she was more of a frequent visitor back in 2020 in the Australian Open.
Maria Perello’s social media engagement
Maria shockingly claimed that she does not have any social media handles. She told, “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 told that she does want to have that celebrity status and fame and wants to lead a simple and happy life.