"For me it's Mery. I only call her Maria Francisca when we argue" - Rafael Nadal on marriage, his wedding day & children

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal recently provided some rare insights into his personal life, including his marriage and wedding day. Nadal made the interesting revelations in an interview with Bertin Osborne on the Spanish television show 'Mi casa es la tuya' (My house is yours).

Rafael Nadal married his childhood sweetheart Maria Francisca Perello in October 2019 after a courtship of 15 years. The two met when they were kids, and started dating in 2005.

Maria Francisca, who is the Director of the Rafa Nadal Foundation, does not accompany him on tour every week. However, she is seen in the players' box at some of the major tournaments, including the recent French Open which Nadal won for a historic 13th time.

While the media often refers to Rafael Nadal's wife as Xisca, Mrs. Nadal has herself clarified that her real name is Mery. The Spaniard asserted that he calls her Mery as well, unless there is some tension between them.

"I've known her since I was very young. Her name is María Francisca, but I call her Mery. I only call her María Francisca when we argue. But we never argue. She is very calm," Nadal said.

Rafael Nadal went on to explain that his wife was able to manage the lockdown in Spain earlier this year better than him, due to her fixed office routine. The 34-year-old also spoke about his desire to have children once he retires.

"She better than me (the lockdown). She was working her office hours because she is the director of this (Rafa Nadal) foundation... And of course, with so much confinement, there was a lot of work at the foundation to do and give away stuff. I could only do a little physical exercise from the house and we live in an apartment," Nadal added.

"I trust so (I'm going to have them). I love children. But there is a problem. I thought we will have children, well, when I retire. But of course, I thought that at 30 I would be 'kaput' , but the career has been extending," the Spaniard went on.

Bertín Osborne: "Rafa, ¿tú vas a tener niños?"Rafa Nadal: "Yo confío que sí. Lo que pasa es que hay un problema, que es que yo decía «bueno, ya cuando me retire», pero claro, pensaba que a los 30 estaría caput."pic.twitter.com/CQ6JFNhoca

— CroniSport Tenis (@CroniSport) October 31, 2020

Rafael Nadal's friends reveal his one character flaw

Bertin Osborne also spoke to some of Rafael Nadal's friends as part of the interview, and was keen to find out if the 20-time Grand Slam champion had any character flaws.

: Rafael Nadal at the 2020 Rolex Paris Masters

The one thing that his friends did reveal is that Rafael Nadal is not great when it comes to punctuality in his personal life. Nadal admitted the same and revealed that he got payback on his wedding day.

"At the wedding, I got it back by 20. Tired of waiting (for me in the past), I think that day they said 'Now you are going to wait'," Nadal joked.

First pics released from Rafael Nadal's stunning wedding to Mery 'Xisca' Perello https://t.co/CzRYEoO8wy pic.twitter.com/meyjmeDMmP

— Express Sport (@DExpress_Sport) October 21, 2019