Rafael Nadal surprises by skiing with his wife and 3-year-old son

Rafael “Rafa” Nadal is hitting the slopes! Following his retirement from tennis in 2024, the legendary sportsman has taken up skiing for the first time in 26 years. Posting on Instagram this week, Rafa, 39, shared photos from his family trip to Baqueira Beret – a luxury ski resort in the Catalan Pyrenees. Revealing that he and his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, had introduced their eldest son, Rafael Jr., to the slopes, Rafa uploaded a sweet video of the three-year-old gliding on the snow. While he was absent from the photos, Rafa and Maria are also proud parents to six-month-old Miquel, whom they welcomed in August last year. 

Alongside his carousel of photos, Rafa asked Olympian Lindsey Vonn for tips. Tagging the alpine ski racer in the caption, he quipped: “@lindseyvonnwe’re still learning… any advice for us?” Resulting in a sweet exchange, Lindsey, who is currently recovering from a complex tibia fracture sustained at the 2026 Winter Olympics, replied in the comments, writing: “Love this!!” 

Rafa Nadal’s retirement

Rafa, who officially retired from tennis in November 2024, played his last professional match in the Davis Cup Final in Malaga. A month prior, the 39-year-old had released a video statement, confirming that he would be stepping away from the sport. “Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially,” Rafa said in October 2024. 

“I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end, and I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.” 

Following his retirement, the Wimbledon star has continued to play sports, particularly golf, while working as a philanthropist and spearheading the Rafa Nadal Academy. He is also relishing more time at home with his family. “It’s my first summer in Mallorca ever,” Rafa told The Times in July 2025, just one month before Miquel was born. “After retiring, I was in bad shape for a month, I practically couldn’t walk,” he noted. “I’m better than I could have imagined.”

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Of course, Rafa continues to watch tennis and has watched some of his old rivals, including Novak Djokovic, competing. Asked if he felt sad sitting in the stands, the father-of-two replied: “Honestly, no, I’ve had a change of life. I’m enjoying the tournament from a different perspective.”