JEDDAH: Rafael Nadal said he “would really like” to bring his academy to Saudi Arabia but that nothing is yet set in stone, with conversations still in the early stages between his team and tennis officials in the Kingdom.

The former world No. 1 and 22-time Grand Slam champion spent some time in Jeddah last weekend as part of his role as Saudi Tennis Federation ambassador.

Nadal attended the last two days of the Next Gen ATP Finals at King Abdullah Sports City and took part in a host of community activities, including clinics and meet and greets, as he continues to familiarize himself with the tennis ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.

The Rafa Nadal Academy, based in Nadal’s hometown of Manacor in Mallorca, has been expanding to various locations around the globe, with operations in Mexico, Greece and Hong Kong, as well as two bases in the Middle East in Kuwait and Egypt.

Could Saudi Arabia be next?

“We are in conversation, nothing is done. Of course, it will be a great motivation to bring my people here, to create a beautiful project in that matter, where girls, boys, adults, can go and have a place to enjoy, to feel themselves in their club,” Nadal told Arab News.

“But it’s something that is a little bit green and it’s too soon to talk about it. But I know they are in conversation and let’s see what’s going on in the future. But of course, for me, it’s something I would really like.”

Nadal was announced as a new ambassador for the STF in January 2024, and has since made three visits to the Kingdom, including taking part in the Six Kings Slam showpiece in Riyadh two months ago alongside the likes of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

The 38-year-old Spaniard has visited the Gulf region many times since he made his Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships debut in 2004 and feels a connection with this part of the world.

“I really like the way that the people here treat us every time we come here. In some way, in Spain we have a lot of similarities back in the history. So I enjoyed it,” said Nadal, reflecting on his two decades of visiting the Middle East.  

“I enjoyed playing in this part of the world, I had fun, and in general terms, I feel lucky that I was able to know all these places, countries, and because of tennis I was able to know different cultures all around the world and this one I’m happy to learn more and more.”

Nadal sent fans into a frenzy during his meet-and-greet sessions at the Next Gen ATP Finals last weekend, with queues extending from one end of the fan zone to the other, packed with supporters desperate for a signature from the Spanish legend.

He led a children’s clinic on the clay courts at Racquet Space tennis club and attended the trophy ceremony of the U14 ATF tournament staged at the King Abdullah Sports City tennis courts.

He shared some words of wisdom with Saudi Arabia’s Davis Cup team, a group of junior wheelchair tennis players, and some of the up-and-coming ATP stars competing in the Next Gen Finals tournament.

“I am still learning, of course, this is only my third time here. Every time I come, I am able to know a bit more,” Nadal said of his experiences so far in Saudi Arabia.  

“I was able to visit the historic old town in Jeddah this time. And I try to receive all the information, to really know the information from the people who really live here, and from the people who live here and are not Saudis, so it’s important to understand how their lives are here, being from a different part (of the world).

“And the message that I received always is really positive. They are very happy, they are following the opening of the country that has witnessed a huge change in the last seven years.”

Nadal added: “Of course nothing can be done from zero to 100 because the culture and the population cannot absorb all these changes in a short period of time. But I am really happy to see young people playing tennis, practicing the sport, and I think it’s the right move.

“Saudi is a very big country, with 35 million people, a very young population that I think having all these great events here encourages the young population here to practice and do sport and that’s great news. Because a sporting community is a healthy community and I really believe the country is moving in that direction and that’s very positive.”

As a long-time friend of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Riyadh club Al-Nassr two years ago, Nadal is hoping to catch up with the Portuguese star in the Kingdom soon.

“I didn’t speak to Cristiano about that, hopefully next time I will be in Riyadh we can be in touch and meet each other,” Nadal said. “The last couple of times I have been here, we didn’t have the chance. But I am sure that in the future we will be together, at some point.”

Nadal officially retired from professional tennis last month at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga and a docu-series detailing the final season of his career is scheduled for release on Netflix in 2025.

A collaborative production between Netflix and Skydance Sports, the docu-series “will include unprecedented access with Nadal throughout his comeback to competitive play in the 2024 season after sitting out much of 2023 due to injury” the streaming platform announced last week.  

Skydance founder and CEO David Ellison is one of the producers of the docu-series and the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, who owns the Indian Wells Masters tennis tournament.

“I think it’s going to be something interesting, that people are going to know more about my personal life, my daily life trying to come back. And of course they’re going to know more about my career, even if it’s very well known around, but to know a little bit more from inside, something that has never been talked about before,” Nadal said of the upcoming project.

“So I’m excited to see the final result, we have been working very hard. I always have been a little bit against doing this stuff but a great team like Skydance team and David Ellison called me and presented to me the project and at the end it was a fast decision and it was a big help of the family, the team, the tournaments, the rest of the players accepting that, and I am sure, and I hope that the people will like it.”

Just one month into his retirement, Nadal admits he is still getting used to life without tennis but he knows he will stay close to the sport, be it through his academy, his foundation, his role as STF ambassador, or any other capacity.

Would he consider coaching another player in future?

“You never say never,” the Spaniard said.

“Today it’s too early to think about this kind of stuff. I just need to organize my life. Now I don’t see myself in any project like this, but I don’t know how life is going to be in one, two, three years.”

JEDDAH: Joao Fonseca became the second youngest champion of the NextGen ATP tournament on Sunday when he defied his lowly ranking of 145 to defeat Learner Tien in the final.
Brazil’s Fonseca, 18, came through 2-4, 4-3 (10/8), 4-0, 4-2 to see off his left-handed American opponent.
He is the youngest champion at the event since current world number one Jannik Sinner claimed the title also at the age of 18 five years ago.
“I was really nervous before the match. I knew it was going to be so difficult,” Fonseca said before lifting the trophy with tennis legend Rafael Nadal watching on from the stands.
“I played a final against Learner in juniors at the 2023 US Open and I know the way he can play. He is such a nice guy and a great player, so I knew it was going to be difficult, mentally and physically. But I got through.”
Fonseca, the lowest-ranked player in the eight-man field, won all five matches he played this week at the Red Sea venue.
He began the year ranked at 730 in the world and having made a maiden ATP quarter-final in Rio this year, he will be aiming to make significant progress in 2025.
“I need to believe when I go before a tournament that I can win,” Fonseca said.
“But now I have won it I am thinking, ‘Wow, I made it’. I am very proud of myself.”