In Pictures: Rafael Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello and baby son steal the spotlight during Spaniard's French Open 1R battle
Rafael Nadal played Alexander Zverev in the first round of the 2024 French Open. Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello was in attendance at the Court Philippe-Chatrier along with their son to watch the Spaniard play possibly his final French Open match.
The 37-year-old has been asked about his potential retirement at most of the tournaments he has participated in recently. Even at the French Open, Nadal tried to get that question out of the way early by creating an air of uncertainty around it in his pre-tournament press conference.
While there is uncertainty around whether Nadal will play again in Paris next year, his fans arrived in numbers all the same to shower him with love. The 14-time winner made a grand entrance onto the court and there was a loud cheer as soon he made his way in. Nadal also did his trademark warm-up run on the court before his 14 title-winning years were announced in French.
The 37-year-old was also supported by his wife Maria Francisca Perello and their son. The mother-son duo cheered on the 22-time Grand Slam winner.
Amidst much fanfare, some of the biggest players had also made their way to the Court Philippe-Chatrier to watch the tennis icon play against Zverev.
Both the ATP and WTA World No. 1s, Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek respectively, were in the stands. Carlos Alcaraz, Alize Cornet, and Caroline Garcia were also spotted. Manchester City and Spain soccer star Rodri was also in the stands just days after playing the FA Cup final in Wembley, London.
Unfortunately for his supporters, the Spaniard faced his first-ever defeat in a French Open first-round match. Zverev, who faced a freak injury during the semifinal in 2022 against Nadal, won the match 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Rafael Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello and son have been traveling with the Spaniard for his last few tournaments
Rafael Nadal tied the knot with Maria Francisca Perello in October 2019. In October 2022, the pair were blessed with a son. The family of three have been traveling together recently.
Nadal's wife and son were spotted during his recent appearances at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open along with their other relatives.
At the Madrid Open, Nadal received a heartwarming farewell during which his sister Isabel and wife Perello were crying. In Rome, the mother-son duo were spotted in the stands with Nadal's father.