Did Rafael Nadal and Flavia Pennetta ever date? – A look into the relationship the two grand slam winners shared

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Flavia Pennetta is currently married to fellow Tennis star Fabio Fognini – was she ever in a relationship with Rafael Nadal, did they date?

Flavia Pennetta is a former Italian tennis star, who gained fame after winning the 2015 US Open women’s singles title. She has often been linked to Rafael Nadal and rumours still persist that both of them were in a relationship – is it so? Well, that’s not true. Nadal and Pennetta were very close friends, but they never dated each other. In this article, we’ll take a detailed look into the relationship between Nadal and Pennetta.

You must have seen several pictures of Nadal and Pennetta having a good time; enjoying each other’s company. Well, Nadal and Pennetta got to know each other through Carlos Moya, the Spanish Tennis icon. Pennetta dated Moya for a long period of time while Moya was also the coach and a close friend of Rafael Nadal. That is how Nadal and Pennetta became the best of friends, but their relationship had a bitter end because of Pennetta’s split with Moya.

Pennetta had a nasty break-up with Moya and even accused the Spaniard of cheating on her. She got married to fellow Italian tennis star Fabio Fognini in 2016 and the couple are currently parents to three children.

Rafael Nadal and Flavia Pennetta
Rafael Nadal and Flavia Pennetta

Rafael Nadal has been in a relationship with ‘Mery’ since 2005

Rafael Nadal started dating his current wife Maria Francisca Perello way back in 2005. Nadal and Mery both grew up in the city of Mallorca in Spain and were originally introduced by the tennis star’s sister, Maria Isabel Nadal in a party. Even though they started dating way back in 2005 but it was only made official in 2011, eight years before they got married. They have been together for close to twenty years and Mery recently gave birth to a son.

Rafael Nadal Wife
Rafael Nadal with his wife Maria Francisca Perello

Nadal and Mery tied the knot in October 2019 at La Fortazleza, a 17th century Spanish castle in Mallorca. The couple reportedly welcomed 350 of the nearest and dearest friends and family members to celebrate their big day, including former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I. In June 2022, Nadal first revealed the news that Mery and he would soon welcome a new member to their family. The baby was born on October 8, 2022. They have named the child ‘Rafael Nadal Perello’.

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