Tennis ace Rafael Nadal and his wife Mery Perelló have reportedly welcomed their first bundle of joy.

According to Spanish news outlet Diario de Mallorca, their little boy was born at 37 weeks, but both mum and bub are doing well.

The 22 time Grand Slam champion and his wife of three years confirmed the news they were expecting earlier this year, after speculation in several news outlets.

The much-loved gentleman of tennis wrote in an Instagram caption in June: “I’m not used to talking about my personal life because I’m already exposed enough. For peace of mind and the way we understand life together with the people I live with, we like to have a lower profile and in accordance with our privacy.

“That said, and if all goes well, I’m going to be a father. I don’t know how this is going to change my life, but I don’t expect it to change my professional career. Thank you all for the love and respect you have always had.”

The couple has been together for 14 years, and married in October 2019. The 36-year-old sporting star has never been shy about wanting to one day start a family, telling HOLA! previously that he loves children and has every intention of having a family. However, he confessed in 2020 that his stellar career has taken precedence over having children.

“At this age, I thought that I would have already been a former player and that I would have started a family. If I didn’t see myself playing tennis … then possibly, I could have had children before. At the age we are now, we’re not going to wait five years.”

In the same Instagram caption, Rafa said despite his ongoing injury concerns, he has Wimbledon in his sights. “My intention is to try to play at Wimbledon. On Monday I travel to London and see how the training week goes. I will train there for a week and play an exhibition match in Hurlingham.”

Congrats to Rafa and Mery!