Sports
Rafa Nadal ‘breaks’ the rules: the tradition that he has broken with his son
Rafa Nadal ‘breaks’ the rules: the tradition that he has broken with his son
The birth of the first child of Rafael Nadal and Mery Perelló has been a real event in terms of media coverage. The best athlete in the history of Spain has been a father with his lifelong partner and in a process of pregnancy more complicated than desired, but fortunately with a happy ending. There are many voices, although not official, that assure that the son of Rafa and Mery will be named after his father, Rafael , which would break a classic tradition in Mallorca.
According to Mallorcan tradition, the newborn child must be named after his grandfather, so the little one would ‘be called’ Sebastian , like the father of Rafa Nadal Parera . However, Rafa and Mery would have decided to skip this case and call the little boy after his father.
Rafa Nadal ‘breaks’ the rules: the tradition that he has broken with his son
As a curiosity, the tennis player does comply with the classic tradition in Mallorca , since his name is the same as his grandfather, Rafael Nadal , who died in 2015. Rafa’s father, Sebastián , also complies with it and has the namesake of the great-grandfather of the 22-time Grand Slam champion .
Rafael Nadal Perelló , as the little boy aims to be called, was born on October 8 during the 37th week of pregnancy of Mery Perelló , Rafa Nadal ‘s wife since 2019. Both the baby and the mother are doing well, despite the fact that Mery She had been hospitalized for a few weeks and needed special rest for the delivery. This situation caused annoyance in Nadal , who was at the US Open and recognized after his defeat in the round of 16 that he had “more important things to attend to”, referring to the status of the woman and his son.
In the last days of her pregnancy, Mery Perelló was no longer in the hospital and went to the center to give birth to little Rafa , who was born in the presence of his father, already back after his professional commitments and who parked the rest of his appointments in the calendar until his wife gave birth.
READ MORE: Toni Nadal explains same problem facing Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
So far, neither Rafa nor Mery Perelló have officially ruled on the birth of the baby on social networks and, therefore, have not clarified what the name of their firstborn will be, who will have to face the breaking of a classic tradition in the event of confirm the filtered name, which in turn will leave him with added pressure to that of being the first son of the best Spanish athlete of all time.
A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
THERE IS COMMENT BOX AFTER THE ADS, SHARE YOUR THOUGHT WITH US
Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
THERE IS COMMENT BOX AFTER THE ADS, SHARE YOUR THOUGHT WITH US
