from Mery Perelló to her father

Rafa Nadal says goodbye and tennis loses one of the rackets that has made history in this sport. The athlete says goodbye excitedly remembering, one by one, the people who have walked alongside him in his beginnings, those who have suffered, screamed and cried tears of helplessness and also of great joy in his tournaments. Those faces that were never missing in the stands and in his life, in the endless hours of training and in the moments when he needed support and strength.

To his family, to his parents, Ana María Parera and Sebastián Nadal, to his uncle, Toni Nadal, his sister, María Isabel Nadal, to his wife, Mery Perelloand his son Rafatwo years old and already holding the racket, for them it is also the merit of their glory. These are the words he spoke:

“Family is everything to me, right? I think my mother has made all the sacrifices she had to make so that we always had everything.

My wife, Mery, we have been together for 19 years, thank you for everything you have done. I think you have been my perfect travel companion during all these years of my career. Coming home every day and seeing how my son is growing has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the energy to continue.

My sister, I think we have always had an incredible relationship.

My uncle, who is the reason I started playing tennis. I think that thanks to him I have been able to overcome many situations that have been difficult in my sports career.

And to my father, who I believe has been a source of inspiration for me in every way, who has been an example of effort, of improvement. “Thank you very much to my father in a very, very special way.”