Celebrity families

Rafa Nadal receives World Sports Award as he prepares to welcome second child

Nadal and his wife Mery Perelló looked happy throughout the ceremony

Senior Writer

APRIL 22, 2025 11:52 AM EDTAPR 22, 2025, 11:52 AM EDT

Rafael Nadal has plenty to celebrate. The Spanish sports icon was one of the guests at the World Sports Awards, one of the most emblematic recognitions for athletes, where he received the Sports Icon recognition. He's also celebrating his incoming second child, with the occasion marking his wife Mery Perelló's first red carpet while pregnant with their baby.

Rafael Nadal and Mery Perelló at the World Sports Awards 2025 — Nadal and Mery Perelló at the red carpet of the awards, hosted in Madrid this year

Nadal and Perelló walked the red carpet together, stopping to chat with some of the journalists. While Perelló steered clear of most camera flashes, she was photographed wearing a stunning black gown that paired lace and darker fabrics, resulting in an elegant and timeless look.

Nadal matched Perelló's all black look, wearing a black tux paired with a crisp white button-up.

As he walked the red carpet, Nadal took photos with fans, spoke with various journalists, and hung out with his close friend Carlos Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafa Nadal at the World Sports Awards 2025

Nadal was the recipient of the Laureus Sports Icon Award

Nadal's appearance at the World Sports Awards was a celebration of his tennis career, which includes 22 Grand Slam titles. "I don't know how to start, honestly. I didn't prepare for this amazing moment, talking in front of all of you," Nadal said, per ATP News.

"But a lot of you have been sportspeople that inspired [me] since I was a kid, and having the chance to talk in front of you today is something very, very special."

"I don't know how to start, honestly. I didn't prepare for this amazing moment, talking in front of all of you," Nadal said. "But a lot of you have been sportspeople that inspired [me] since I was a kid and having the chance to talk in front of you today is something very, very special." — Nadal was emotional onstage, sharing how honored he was to he recognized in front of some of his sporting idols

Despite the conclusion of his career, Nadal has no regrets when it comes to his retirement, sharing that he gave it his all and that chapter is over now. "I finished my career happy, and if I could have, I would have carried on, because I loved what I was doing," he said to reporters, per The Japan Times.

"It was my passion, and that's been the case all my life. It's just that when you realize that physically you can't do it anymore... You try to close that chapter. And I closed it."