TENNIS ace Rafael Nadal and his girlfriend since high school have gone on their honeymoon before their wedding – in the hurricane-stricken Bahamas.
Nadal had already been to the Abaco Islands in August for a short mid-season rest, just before Hurricane Dorian struck the following month.
Now, he and Meri Perelló – project manager at his charitable foundation run by his mum in Manacor, Mallorca – have gone back to the Caribbean archipelago ahead of their marriage ceremony due on October 19.
But it will not be a romantic break, since they are accompanied by Rafa's close friend Tomeu Salvà and four other good friends.
The couple, who have been together since Meri was 16 and Rafa 19, will wed in their native town of Manacor in the Sa Fortalesa estate in Pollença which, as its name suggests, is hermetically-sealed and very private, with no way for the paparazzi or the general public to gain entry.
Its exclusive purpose is for high-profile figures to use for personal celebrations, since they will be guaranteed security and privacy.
The estate has been used for other famous sportspersons for their weddings – including basketball star Rudy Fernández and his wife Helen Lindes in 2015, and Real Madrid's Gareth Bale to Emma Rhys-Jones.
No pictures of Sa Fortalesa are anywhere on the internet and, even though it accessible to the public when not in use, taking photographs of it is strictly prohibited.
