By Le Figaro with AFP
Published yesterday at 10:32 p.m., Updated yesterday at 10:33 p.m.
A new role for Rafa Nadal. WILLIAM WEST / AFP
Currently out of action due to injury, the player with 22 Grand Slam titles believes that Saudi Arabia has real potential.
Rafael Nadal was named ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) on Monday, a title which, according to the Spaniard, symbolizes the “potential» of the Gulf monarchy to become a stronghold of sport in the future. “Everywhere you look in Saudi Arabia you see growth and progress and I am happy to be a part of it», Explained the player with 22 Grand Slam titles, quoted in a press release from the STF. “I continue to play because I love this sport. But beyond the game, I want to help (tennis) develop around the world and there is real potential in Saudi Arabia“, added the Spaniard, who made a brief return to competition earlier this month after almost a year without playing due to injury.
After a defeat in the third round of the Brisbane tournament, he withdrew on January 7 from the Australian Open in Melbourne due to a muscle tear. At 37, Nadal assured that his goal was to be competitive for the clay court season in the spring. He had previously indicated that 2024 could be his “last year» on the circuit.
The children look to the future and I saw that they are passionate about sports… I want to encourage them to pick up a racquet and enjoy the benefits of a healthy life.
Rafael Nadal
As ambassador, the Spaniard “will spend time in the kingdom each year» to develop national tennis and a new Rafa Nadal Academy, according to the federation. “The children look to the future and I saw that they are passionate about sports… I want to encourage them to pick up a racket and enjoy the benefits of a healthy life», Explained Nadal on his X account (ex-Twitter), who recently visited a tennis academy in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has been using sport for several years as diplomatic leverage with Formula 1, Moto GP, the LIV golf circuit, football – it is the only candidate to organize the 2034 World Cup – and tennis. The kingdom hosted its first ATP tournament in 2023, the Next Gen in Jeddah, and exhibition matches Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka-Ons Jabeur. The five-year contract signed with the ATP for the Next Gen “signals the country’s desire to make tennis a large part of its international calendar and it is the first in a series of professional tennis tournaments that could be organized» in Saudi Arabia, according to the STF.
But the oil monarchy, the world’s leading exporter of crude oil, has drawn criticism from human rights defenders and environmental organizations who accuse it of “sportwashing» to restore its reputation.
2024-01-15 21:32:38
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