Rafael Nadal and his wife Mery Perelló shine at the first edition of the Rafa Nadal Foundation Awards

The tennis star shared his excitement for the initiative. “I am very happy to be in the first awards of the Foundation, a new initiative that was born after many people, institutions, and foundations asked us for help to make their projects a reality, but it has been impossible to reach all these works. In this case, the team has considered the best,” he said upon his arrival.

The Rafa Nadal Foundation was launched in 2008, and Mery joined it in 2013, starting as a project manager. She is now the director. The 34-year-old Mallorcan posed with journalist Susana Guasch, who is in charge of presenting the gala. She wore fun slacks and a black shirt and coat, and if you look closely you can see the adorable necklace she wore with an “R” on it, which is the initial of both her husband and baby boy.

Nadal’s mother, Ana Maria Parera, and his sister Maribel Nadal were also in Palma supporting the successful and inspirational host they call family.

The 36-year-old athlete posed with the president of Telefónica, José María Álvarez-Pallete. He looked sharp in a navy blue suit, leaving the tie at home.

Mary posed with the winners of the awards, who looked proud. The sports category winner was the Impulse Project of the Casal dels Infants which aims to improve the physical and mental health of adolescents in the municipality of Salt (Girona); In education, El Arca de Valencia was awarded, which is an association that supports people from the neighborhoods of Nazaret and La Punta who face inequality; in health and well-being, the award went to Lo Que De Verdad Importa for supporting our elders and valuing their stories and wisdom; in social innovation, Mamás en Acción was awarded for supporting children who are sick and alone in the hospital; Finally, in development cooperation, the work of the Kirira Foundation’s was recognized, which has been fighting to eradicate female genital mutilation in Kenya since 2007.