Rafael Nadal has been appointed as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation, the Spanish tennis star said on Monday.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will spend time in Saudi Arabia each year to help train children and promote the sport, the federation said. Plans are also in the works to establish a training academy.
Nadal, who withdrew from the Australian Open due to a muscle injury, said in a statement: “Everywhere you look in Saudi Arabia you can see growth and progress, and I am excited to be a part of that.”
The Spaniard, who recently visited a youth tennis academy in Riyadh, had been suffering from a thigh problem last year before returning to compete in the Brisbane International, but it is expected that 2024 will be his last year competing on the professional circuit.
Nadal said: “I will continue to play tennis because I love the game. But away from playing, I want to help the sport grow on a wider scale around the world, and there is real potential in Saudi Arabia. We aim to spread the game of tennis throughout Saudi Arabia, and to lay the foundations for young people to acquire the most important positive values, and to receive the necessary education through their creativity in the game of tennis. Today we have a great opportunity to develop the growth of the game in the Kingdom which invests all its efforts in promoting sports and encouraging youth to practice this ancient game.”
Arih Matbakhani, president of the Saudi Tennis Federation, said via the federation’s account on the social media platform “X” formerly known as Twitter: “Nadal transcends the sport of tennis and continues to inspire generations around the world. I have no doubt that he will have the same impact in the Kingdom. We are very happy to have him as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation.”
In August 2022, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) announced that the ATP Next Gen Finals for players under 21 years of age will be held in Jeddah from 2023 to 2027, the first official tournament in the Gulf state after previous exhibition events.
Saudi Arabia also hosted major exhibition matches last year, with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic playing Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka playing Ons Jabeur.
There have also been frequent speculation that the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) will move its season-ending championship to Saudi Arabia.
The association said last month that it is in discussions with different groups about the season-ending tournament for 2024 and beyond, and no decision has been made yet.
