Spaniard Rafael Nadal, a nineteen-time Grand Slam winner, said ‘I do’ to his lifelong girlfriend, María Francisca ‘Mery’ Perelló, in a ceremony held in Mallorca, the Mediterranean island where the tennis player was born, he reported the country’s press.
The 33-year-old winner of 12 Roland Garros, celebrated the wedding in front of 350 guests at the castle of Sa Fortalesa, in Pollença (northeast of the island), among them the emeritus king Juan Carlos I and tennis friends like David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez.
‘Mery’ Perelló, 31 years old and also known by the nickname ‘Xisca’, met the tennis player 14 years ago when she was friends with the athlete’s sister, Maribel Nadal.
Their relationship, marked by great discretion and rare public appearances, began in 2005.