By Alberto Amalfi | Sunday, October 20, 2019
The king of clay has wed his queen: Rafael Nadal married fiancée Maria "Xisca" Perello at the La Fortaleza castle in the couple's native Mallorca on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal is a married man!
The 33-year-old Nadal married his fiancée Maria "Xisca" Perello at the famed La Fortaleza castle in the couple's native Mallorca.
Watch: Top 5 Takeaways From Nadal's US Open Win
The king of clay wed his queen in a private ceremony before about 350 guests, including former Spanish king Juan Carlos, Carlos Moya, Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Juan Monaco and Fernando Verdasco.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion shared this romantic view of his wedding day on Instagram:
😜
A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal) on
Michelin-star chef, Quique Dacosta, reportedly catered the wedding, according to an AFP report.
Famed designer Rosa Clará created Xisca's wedding gown for the occasion and shared this video of the dress.
An overwhelming wedding day for all of us! We feel incredibly proud for taking part in such an important day - Mery Perelló and Rafa Nadal's wedding. We would like to congratulate the gorgeous and unique couple, we wish you the best forever! Rosa Clará is the designer of Mery Perelló's wedding dress, an exquisitely clean-lined haute couture design. The bodice, with jewel neckline and long sleeves, was made of beautiful Art Deco-inspired French lace with delicate patterning, flower motifs and microbeading on the meticulously hand-embroidered fabric. The ballgown-style skirt, made of silk crepe, featured a weightless detachable train, created in Rosa Clara's Atelier. The whole process was full of emotions between all of us. We just want to thank the whole family for trusting in us, you’re extraordinary. ___ ¡Hoy es un día muy emocionante para todos nosotros! Nos sentimos enormemente orgullosos por haber formado parte en un día tan especial - la boda de Mery Perelló y Rafa Nadal. Nos encantaría felicitar a la pareja por su matrimonio, ¡los mejores deseos! Rosa Clará es la diseñadora del vestido que lucía Mery Perelló, ¡estaba espectacular! Un elegante y sofisticado diseño de alta costura, de líneas puras y delicadas. El cuerpo, de escote caja y manga larga, está realizado en encaje francés, inspirado en el movimiento artístico Art Déco, compuesto por motivos gráficos y florales. Está bordado a mano, de manera meticulosa con micropedrería incrustada en el dibujo. La falda, de línea evasé, confeccionada en crepe de seda natural, incorpora una ligera sobrecola extraíble. El vestido ha sido elaborado en el Atelier de Rosa Clará con un trabajo de excepcional técnica y artesanía, y muchísimas emociones entre todos nosotros. Queremos agradecer a toda la familia por haber confiado en nosotros, ¡sois extraordinarios! __ #RosaClara #RosaClaraCouture #RafaNadal #Wedding #BridalFashion #RealBride
A post shared by Rosa Clará (@rosa_clara) on
The couple have been dating for more than 14 years after being introduced by Nadal's younger sister, Maria Isabel.
Hola Magazine reported Rafa popped the question to Xisca, 31, during a romantic evening in Rome in May of 2018.
The Roland Garros champion hinted at the engagement during an on-court interview with Jim Courier at the 2019 Australian Open in January.
"I said to you a couple of years ago in 2017 was the first time she was able to be here," Rafa said of Xisca. "She received a wild card in that moment. And now after 14 years together, she doesn't need a wild card at all. She's coming wherever she wants. That's how it works."
See Nadal's comments at about 3:30 of the video here:
The couple share a common cause: helping kids through the Rafa Nadal Foundation. Xisca is director of strategy for the Foundation.
Nadal and his mother, Ana Maria, are the co-founders and his father, Sebastian, is a member of the board of trustees for the foundation.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion announced he plans to play both the Paris Masters and the season-ending ATP Finals at London's O2 Arena next month.
Could there soon be children in the couple's future? Nadal has often said he loves kids and hopes to raise a family.
"Obviously, I have the intention of forming a family," Nadal said. "I love children and I would like my children to do what they like.
"I would love to have children, boys, girls. I am a person who loves kids and I'm a family guy."