**The alleged death of Rafael Nadal’s wife has unleashed a storm of rumors… but the truth revealed is much more surprising than anyone imagined**

January 10, 2026 – Manacor, Spain

World tennis and the international media are in shock after the massive dissemination of false news that circulated during the last 48 hours: the alleged death of María Francisca “Xisca” Perelló, wife of Rafael Nadal since 2019 and mother of his son Rafael Jr.

What began as a viral rumor on Spanish and Latin American social networks quickly became a global trend, with millions of publications, memes and messages of condolence that even reached Nadal’s official account.

However, the truth that has come to light in recent hours is much more surprising and complex than anyone imagined.

Not only is Xisca Perelló alive and in perfect health, but the false news was intentionally created as part of an elaborate disinformation campaign that, according to sources close to the family, had a much darker objective: to damage Nadal’s public image and force an emotional reaction that could be economically exploited.

Everything exploded on the afternoon of January 8, when an anonymous account on

May he rest in peace.” The post included archive images of the couple and a link to a website that imitated the design of Nadal’s official website. In less than 30 minutes, the rumor spread like wildfire.

Sensational media in Spain and Latin America reproduced the information without verifying it. Some headlines even said: “Tragedy in tennis: Rafa Nadal’s wife dies.” Nadal’s official account did not immediately respond, further fueling speculation.

Thousands of fans flooded the networks with messages of condolences, and even the tennis player himself was tagged in publications that blamed him for not having spoken sooner.

But the reality is much more disturbing. According to a joint investigation by the Central Cybercrime Unit of the Spanish Civil Guard and cybersecurity experts hired by the Nadal family, the montage was created with advanced artificial intelligence tools (deepfake) and published from servers located in several countries.

The goal wasn’t just to generate clicks: it was a coordinated operation to provoke a massive emotional reaction that could be monetized.

Sources close to the family confirmed that, in the hours following the rumor, Nadal’s account received thousands of private messages offering “digital protection services,” “life insurance,” and “crowdfunding campaigns for the family.”

At the same time, several sports betting websites saw an unusual increase in bets related to “Nadal’s professional future” after the alleged tragedy. Everything points to a large-scale digital extortion scheme.

Rafael Nadal, who is currently in Manacor preparing his return to competition after his partial retirement in 2024, broke his silence this morning through an official statement published on his social networks and on the Rafa Nadal Academy website:

“María Francisca and I are fine, as is our son. I deeply regret that there are people who use other people’s pain and lies to generate alarm and personal gain. This false news has caused unnecessary suffering to our family and thousands of people who love us.

I sincerely appreciate the love and support, but I also ask that our privacy and that of our loved ones be respected. Thank you for always being there.”

The statement was accompanied by a recent photo of the family: Rafa, Xisca and little Rafa Jr. smiling on the beach in Manacor. The image went viral even faster than the initial rumor, accumulating more than 12 million likes in a few hours.

The Civil Guard has opened a formal investigation for the crime of slander, insults and possible computer crime. Experts believe that behind the operation is an international network of fake accounts and bots operating from countries in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Similar to what happened in 2023 with the false news of Lionel Messi’s death, this case has highlighted the vulnerability of public figures to misinformation generated by AI.

The reaction of the tennis community has been immediate and unanimous. Novak Djokovic wrote: “Rafa and his family are strong. This is unacceptable.” Carlos Alcaraz posted a broken heart emoticon and a message: “Strength, Rafa. We are with you.”

Even Roger Federer, retired since 2022, shared the family photo with the phrase: “Family comes first. Everything else is noise.”

The episode has also generated an ethical debate about the use of artificial intelligence to create fake news. Technology experts warn that cases like this are just the tip of the iceberg: in 2026, the ability to generate deepfakes and false content in real time is greater than ever.

Meanwhile, Xisca Perelló, who has always kept a low profile, published a story on Instagram for the first time in years: a photo of her with her son in her arms and the phrase “We are here. Thank you for the love.”

The message was seen by more than 8 million people in less than an hour.

Rafael Nadal, who plans to compete in exhibition tournaments again during 2026, has decided not to give any more interviews on the subject. His priority, according to his environment, is to protect his family and continue enjoying tennis without distractions.

The supposed death of Xisca Perelló was nothing more than a cruel digital hoax, but the truth that has come to light is even more shocking: in the age of artificial intelligence, a family’s pain can become currency in a matter of minutes.

The tennis world breathes a sigh of relief knowing that Rafa and his team are fine, but there is also a clear warning: misinformation no longer needs to be real to cause harm.

And on this occasion, the Nadal family has shown, once again, that their strength goes far beyond the courts.