Saudi tennis now has a brand representative. Rafael Nadal was indeed appointed on Monday ambassador of the Federation – the STF, 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 part of it,” explained the player with 22 Grand Slam titles, quoted in an STF press release.
Nadal does not stop the competition (yet)
“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 at the start of the 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.
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. “Children look to the future and I saw that they were passionate about sports… I want to encourage them to pick up a racket and enjoy the benefits of a healthy life,” Nadal explained on his X account, who visited recently a tennis academy in Riyadh.
The sport tool of “soft power”
Saudi Arabia has been using sport as diplomatic leverage for several years with Formula 1, MotoGP, the LIV golf circuit, football 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 Next Gen “signals the country’s desire to make tennis a large part of its international calendar and 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 improve its reputation.