Maria Perello has been married to Rafael Nadal since autumn 2019.
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imago/Richard Wareham
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2/7
She rarely gives appearances or interviews.
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imago/ZUMA Press
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She prefers to stay in the background.
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AFP
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7/7
Has he already blown the back problems away?
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Behind every strong man there is a strong woman. This applies to Rafael Nadal and his Mery as well as to Roger Federer and his Mirka.
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Mery? You read correctly: the woman who has been known as Xisca for years and has been married to Rafa since autumn 2019 actually goes by the name Maria or, for her friends, Mery. «Nobody around me tells me about Xisca. Everyone calls me Mery, ”she clarified in the Catalan newspaper“ La Vanguardia ”. Xisca is an invention of the Spanish media.
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“Means for the good of society”
Like Mirka Federer, Maria Francisca Perello – her full name – prefers to stay in the background. When she speaks, she prefers to talk about her husband’s foundation, where she works as director. For ten years, the “Fundacion Rafa Nadal” has been taking care of the integration and development of disadvantaged children in Spain and India.
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The foundation’s workhorse is, of course, Nadal’s status as a world star, which has also changed the everyday life of his childhood sweetheart and today’s wife. «When Rafa advanced to the top of the world, we were repeatedly presented with suggestions for charitable activities. With the foundation, we have created a basis for using our funds for the good of society, ”Maria explains to the Balearic newspaper“ Ultima Hora ”.
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India project opens her eyes
Her first project in India opened her eyes, says the 33-year-old: “I had never been to India before. The differences between Europe and Asia are particularly serious there. I try to see the positive and make a contribution with our projects. ” Their commitment ranges from tennis lessons to computer science and English courses to access to universities.
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Rafa himself supports his foundation financially and as a figurehead when he is not hunting for another Grand Slam crown, as he has just done in Melbourne. In the long-distance duel with the absent Federer (both 20 major wins), Nadal could present for the first time. However, there is still a pinch in the back and since his only victory in Melbourne in 2009 he has lost all four other finals at the Australian Open. (red)