Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam titles, an unmatched 14 French Open victories, and sheer will to win defined a golden era of the sport. But who he is away from the court is something he has managed to keep private. In the new Netflix documentary “Rafa,” released in May 2026, Nadal and his wife, Maria Francisca “Mery” Perelló, opened up about Rafa’s ‘shy’ nature while detailing their teenage love story.
Rafael Nadal’s Wife Reveals the Truth Behind Shy Rafa’s Teenage Pursuit in His New Documentary
The four-part documentary series delves into many untold stories from Nadal’s life and career, including his relationship with Mery, long before the trophies and fame.
“People don’t know that he is, in essence, a shy person,” Perelló shared in the series. “We grew up in a very small town. Our families knew each other since before we were born. I remember, for example, being at Rafa’s first communion. But of course I would’ve been six years old.”
Their connection deepened during their teenage years. “I remember we started dating during a summer,” she recalled with a smile. “He was chasing me during that time.”
Nadal also admitted his early struggles to win her over. “I started sending her some messages, and she would reply, but without much interest. I was in love with her,” he confessed. “She gave me the inner strength to maintain stability when I really needed it.”
One thing that defined Nadal’s career the most is an extraordinary battle against his own body, mainly his Müller-Weiss syndrome, a rare and painful degenerative bone condition in his left foot diagnosed in 2005. Because of this, he had to use custom-built insoles that altered his stance by seven millimeters, which led to chronic tendinitis in his knees and, eventually, a major hip surgery.
The history of physical pain took a toll on his mind, too, leading to severe anxiety around 2015 that required psychiatric treatment and medication for nearly a year. The docuseries reveals how he relied on extreme medical decisions, including total foot-numbing injections, just to step onto the court. And during all this, Mery was his support system.
After nearly two decades together, the couple married in 2019 in a private ceremony at a castle in Mallorca. In 2022, Perelló gave birth to their first child, Rafael, and in 2025, they welcomed their second child, a son named Miquel.
On November 19, 2024, playing his final competitive match representing Spain at the Davis Cup Finals, he closed out his legendary 23-year career at the age of 38, in which he won 92 tour-level titles, including 22 Grand Slam singles titles. He is now settled with his family on his native island of Mallorca, Spain, where he manages the Rafa Nadal Academy, which many main tour pros, including Casper Ruud and Iga Świątek, have trained.
