Tennis fans have been treated to their first proper look at Xisca Perello’s baby bump after husband Rafa Nadal confirmed last month that they’re expecting their first child.
Rumours had been swirling in the lead-up to Wimbledon that Perello was pregnant, and Nadal confirmed the wonderful news in a pre-tournament press conference.
“If everything goes well, I’m going to be a father,” he said.
“I’m not used to talking about my private life. We live more peacefully with a lower profile. I don’t expect that my life will change much with it.”
Over the weekend, Nadal and Perello attended a concert for Colombian singer Sebastian Yatra in his home town of Mallorca.
The singer posted a photo on his Instagram story after a behind-the-scenes catch-up with Nadal and some of his family, with one photo clearly showing Perello’s baby bump.
Aww… look at the belly growing 🥹🥰
(via Sebastian Yatra's IG stories) pic.twitter.com/Y3Vxj62Nte
— Genny SS (@genny_ss) July 22, 2022
It is the first photo that has emerged of Perello’s bump since Nadal’s announcement, sending fans into a joyous frenzy.
The couple are reportedly having a baby boy, due to arrive in October.
Aww… look at the belly growing 🥹🥰
(via Sebastian Yatra's IG stories) pic.twitter.com/Y3Vxj62Nte
— Genny SS (@genny_ss) July 22, 2022
Aww… look at the belly growing 🥹🥰
(via Sebastian Yatra's IG stories) pic.twitter.com/Y3Vxj62Nte
— Genny SS (@genny_ss) July 22, 2022
Rafa Nadal set to retire with baby on the way?
The impending arrival has further increased speculation that Nadal will retire from professional tennis this year.
The 22-time grand slam champion has previously stated that he didn’t want to start a family until after he retires, which appears to be in the very near future.
“I would love to have children, boys, girls…I’m a person who loves kids and I’m a family guy,” he said in 2017.
“But also I tell you that the reality is…the years keep passing.
“I would like to start to do all of this when my sporting life determines it.
“I think it’s also above all about looking after the kids.
“I don’t know if it [travelling throughout the year when you have children] is ideal.”
Speaking after his historic French Open triumph earlier this year, Nadal once again hinted that he might soon retire.
The 36-year-old was forced to take a number of pain-killing injections in his troublesome foot in order to play.
“It’s obvious that with circumstances that I am playing, I can’t and I don’t want to keep going, so the mindset is very clear,” he said about playing with injuries.
“I’m going to keep working to try to find a solution and an improvement for what’s happening in the foot.
“It’s going to be…trying to burn a little bit the nerve and create the impact that I have now on the nerve for a long period of time.
“That’s what we are going to try. If that works, I’m going to keep going. If that does not work, then it’s going to be another story.
“And then I am going to ask myself if I am ready to do a major thing without being sure that things are going the proper way, for example.
“A major surgery that doesn’t guarantee me to be able to be competitive again and take a long time to be back (is a risk). So let’s do it step by step, as I did all my tennis career.”
Nadal suffered another injury at Wimbledon when he was forced to withdraw from his semi-final clash with Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal tear.
However he has since committed to playing at the Canadian Open next month in a sign he will be fit for the US Open.
