Rafael Nadal grew emotional during his farewell ceremony at the 2025 French Open as he spoke about his wife, Maria Francisca Perello. He shared heartfelt words about the important role she has played in his career and life, and thanked her for her support.
Nadal ruled Roland Garros for nearly two decades, capturing an astonishing 14 titles, an unmatched feat in tennis. His last Grand Slam appearance came here in 2024, where he was defeated by Alexander Zverev. He then waited a year to say a proper goodbye to the tournament.
Many of the Spaniard’s closest family members were there for the special moment, including his wife Maria, son Rafa Jr., sister Maribel, mother Ana, father Sebastián, and his uncle and former coach Toni. With tears in his eyes, he delivered a heartfelt speech to his wife, saying:
“I’ve lost a piece of paper I had prepared, but it’s easy to fix. Mary, you’re my best life partner. We couldn’t have imagined in 2005 that we’d be here 20 years later as a family. I hope to make you as happy as you’ve made me.”
While Nadal delivered his speech, Maria stood with tears in her eyes, holding their baby son in her arms. She shared the emotional moment with her husband, to whom she has been married for nearly six years.
Pritha is one of the driving forces behind Sportskeeda’s tennis & baseball coverage, serving as an assistant content manager and editor. What began as a casual escape from her tiring biotechnology degree course in early 2022 has blossomed into a passion she loves, cherishes, and breathes every day.
Pritha’s love for the sport was spawned by her dad who showed her clips of “GOAT” Steffi Graf’s matches. Despite a thwarted dream of playing professionally due to injury, she finds solace in reporting the sport, while also mentoring other writers to ensure every article is error-free and top-notch. She double checks credible sources, such as the tournament/player handles and big tennis media outlets, and gives proper credit where required.
Pritha’s journey at Sportskeeda is marked by nearly 2000 articles and close to 12 million views, with the “dream-come-true” moment of having her article shared by Chris Evert serving as a highlight of her career. A lifelong Wimbledon fan, Pritha also adores Rafael Nadal, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka.
When she’s not seeking unique angles to elevate tennis coverage at Sportskeeda, she loves to channel her inner astrophysics “nerd” by exploring new sci-fi series and movies. A big Lionel Messi, Lewis Hamilton, and Randy Orton fan, she is always ready to engage in sports conversations anytime, anywhere, albeit not without a cup of coffee.
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