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Saudi Arabia has pulled off the next coup on its way to becoming the desired center of world sport: Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal will now serve as ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Association – as he sees ‘great potential’ in the desert state, if the association said it was announced on Monday.
Nadal (37) is currently missing the Australian Open in Melbourne due to an injury; he will now visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia annually as part of his partnership “to promote the sport and build a new Rafa Nadal Academy.”
Everywhere in Saudi Arabia “you see growth and progress, and I am happy to be part of that,” said the Spaniard, winner of 22 Grand Slam titles. The Zandkoning fans are less enthusiastic about the commitment. Many are disappointed and do not understand why Nadal associates himself with a regime that clearly violates human rights. “It’s bleak when even image-conscious and generally cautious superstars like Rafa fall for Saudi money,” writes one user on X.
Last year, the Next Gen Finals in Jeddah marked the first time an ATP tournament was held in Saudi Arabia and the figureheads of the sport Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz came by for a show match.
The kingdom has also been making headlines for years as the host of major sporting events. It is common knowledge that the Saudis want – and will likely get – the 2034 World Cup and the biggest fights in boxing are now taking place in Riyadh. (AFP/men)
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
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