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Saudi Arabia ‘an emerging sporting nation’ globally: Shaima Al-Husseini

Shaima Al-Husseini, Managing Director at Sports For All Federation. (SFA)
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Updated 14 March 2024
Arab News
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Saudi Arabia ‘an emerging sporting nation’ globally: Shaima Al-Husseini

  • The managing director of the Sports for All Federation talks to Arab News about the success of the recent Riyadh Marathon, community events and the rising participation of Saudi women
Updated 14 March 2024
Arab News

Shaima Al-Husseini, managing director at the Saudi Sports for All Federation, has overseen a remarkable rise in participation across sporting codes and physical activities in the Kingdom over the last few years.

Whether in the various community programs that have been established by the federation or in official competitions, engagement is well on track to meet the targets set by the country’s Vision 2023 and Quality of Life program to produce a more active and healthier society.

Al-Husseini spoke to Arab News about the strides made in recent years.

Arab News: The recent 2024 Riyadh Marathon saw a record number of runners. Tell us what that means to you and sports in Saudi Arabia?

Al-Husseini: The significant participation in the 2024 Riyadh Marathon is a testament to the growing importance of sports in Saudi Arabia. It reflects a cultural shift towards embracing physical activity as an integral part of our society.

With over 20,000 participants, including a record 60 percent Saudi nationals, the marathon signifies a unifying force that brings people together irrespective of nationality, gender or background.

The speed at which this development has taken place should also be noted, this is only the event’s third edition, yet the 2024 Riyadh Marathon saw 20,000 participants. In 2022, it attracted 10,000 runners, meaning a 100 percent rise in just two years.

It underscores the success of the SFA’s efforts in promoting a healthier lifestyle, and demonstrates that sports have become a vehicle for fostering inclusivity, promoting personal well-being, and enhancing social cohesion within our communities.

Also, the increased participation showcases Saudi Arabia as an emerging sporting nation on the global stage, contributing to the country’s reputation and profile in the international sports arena.

Are we seeing more people from outside Saudi Arabia taking part in the Riyadh Marathon?

The Riyadh Marathon has become increasingly attractive to participants from outside Saudi Arabia, as evidenced by the diverse representation of runners from 125 countries in the 2024 edition.

This trend highlights the growing international recognition and appeal of the marathon as a premier sporting event. The event has been a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race since the start, and if you look at the elite male and female runners winning the top cash prizes, they are from Morocco, Ethiopia and Kenya.

The influx of international participants not only enriches the overall experience but promotes cultural exchange and global engagement. It reflects positively on Saudi Arabia’s efforts to position itself as a hub for sports tourism, and underscores its commitment to hosting world-class sporting events that resonate globally.

As we continue to enhance the marathon’s overall experience, we anticipate further growth in international participation in the coming years.

Does having shorter runs like 10 km and 4 km translate into significant increases in participation from local communities and families?

Offering shorter runs like the 10 km and the 4 km family run has been instrumental in driving increased participation from local communities and families. Currently, these events attract the most runners on the day.

The shorter distances cater to a broader spectrum of participants, including beginners, families, and individuals who may not be ready for longer distances like the full or half-marathon, but can pave the way to longer distances in the future.

By providing options that are accessible and achievable for everyone, we’ve witnessed a surge in participation from both the younger and older age groups.

These shorter runs not only promote inclusivity, with the 4 km (open to all, with children accompanied by an adult) and 10 km races (ages 17 and above) acknowledging that 75 percent of those competing in the event are classified as youth, but also foster a culture of active living within households, encouraging family members to engage in physical activity.

The SFA is involved in a number of community sports and events, what other increases in participation and engagement are we seeing across the Kingdom?

We are starting to see increases across the board. According to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in 2021, 48.2 percent of the resident population engaged in physical activity for at least 30 minutes per week, while 29.7 percent devoted at least 150 minutes.

These figures mark a commendable increase of 3.2 and 9.7 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2019.

And we see increases in various target sectors. Our own youth activities have seen growing numbers, with more than 43,000 memberships across 45 Neighborhood Clubs, representing 55 percent male, and 45 percent female.

Female participation rates in physical activity for 30 minutes per week increased to more than 40 percent in 2022, jumping from being less than 16 percent in 2018.

The SFA’s goals are guided by Vision 2030 and the Quality of Life Program. Since joining the SFA in 2019, how have you seen the journey towards those goals?

Since joining the SFA, I feel we’ve made significant strides. The journey towards a healthier and more active population has been marked by notable achievements, including increased participation rates in physical activities across the Kingdom.

Through targeted initiatives, strategic partnerships, and innovative programs, we’ve successfully engaged diverse segments of society, from youth to adults, in adopting healthier lifestyles and embracing the benefits of physical activity.

Our efforts have also extended beyond traditional sports to encompass a wide range of activities, from community fitness events to cultural festivals, thereby catering to diverse interests and preferences.

I think we’ve witnessed a cultural shift towards valuing health and well-being, with more individuals incorporating physical activity into their daily lives.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to advancing the objectives of Vision 2030 and the Quality of Life Program, driving further progress towards a more active, inclusive, and prosperous Saudi society.

Women’s sports have been on the rise in Saudi Arabia in recent years. Tell us about the role that the SFA plays in that.

Women’s sports have been on the rise. For the 2024 Riyadh Marathon, we had 7,295 female participants. This compares to previous years, where we had 5,123 in 2023, and 3,297 in 2022. So in two years, the number of females has more than doubled.

The SFA has played a pivotal role in advancing women’s sports in Saudi Arabia, spearheading initiatives to promote inclusivity, empowerment, and participation among female athletes. The number of participations for sports activities for females is now 401,810 per year.

In 2023, our Neighborhood Clubs had 19,962 female memberships out of a total 45,935. The all-female Global Goals World Cup event attracts more than 200 participants, and we see more than 190 attending the women’s days in our SFA domes. Total female participation for the first and second phases of our three-part sports program, aimed at those aged 35-50, is more than 13,000.

And out of more than 1,700 community sports groups, 120 are led by females.

Through targeted programs and strategic partnerships, we’ve created platforms for women to pursue their sporting passions, break barriers, and achieve their full potential.

One of our landmark initiatives was the establishment of the Women’s Football League in November 2020, which marked a significant milestone in the history of women’s sports in the Kingdom.

Since then, we’ve continued to support and expand opportunities for women across various sports disciplines, from football to running to functional fitness.

Additionally, our efforts extend beyond the field of play to address broader societal challenges and promote gender equality through sports. As a result, we’ve witnessed more women embracing sports as a pathway to personal growth and empowerment.

What are the SFA’s big plans in the coming months and years?

We have ambitious plans to further advance the sports landscape in the Kingdom, such as continuing to invest in infrastructure, facilities, and programs to make sports more accessible to all, developing talent, and promoting health and wellness.

After the Riyadh Marathon, we had the all-female Global Goals World Cup in March, which is about sport and promoting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Then our effective #MoveYourWorld social media campaign is back in the summer, so is our SFA Expo, and we’re sure to participate again in the iF3 Functional Fitness World Championships later in the year.

We’ll continue to develop our app and explore new ways to incorporate the data provided by wearables, as well as AI, to keep building incentives and more personalization for users.

We’re also looking at other ways to incentivize females, creating opportunities for parents, mothers, and their children to practice or play together.

Topics: Shaima Al-Husseini Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini

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Thunder run streak to 9 games as Shai ties career high with 45 points

Updated 15 sec ago
AFP
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Thunder run streak to 9 games as Shai ties career high with 45 points

  • In a Florida showdown, Tyler Herro sank a jump shot with 0.1 of a second remaining to give the Miami Heat an 89-88 NBA thriller triumph over the host Orlando Magic
Updated 15 sec ago
AFP

WASHINGTON: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched his career high with 45 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Indiana Pacers 120-114 on Thursday, stretching their NBA win streak to nine games.

The 26-year-old Canadian guard made 15-of-22 shots from the floor, 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and all 11 of his free throws while adding seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocked shots and a steal in a maestro performance.

“It’s the extra plays that put you over the edge,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We have a group of guys that are hungry to do whatever it takes to win and that’s why we win.”

Jalen Williams added 20 points and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder in his 11th double-double of the season.

The Western Conference-leading Thunder are 24-5 and on a roll despite a loss in the NBA Cup final to Milwaukee that didn’t count against them in the regular season.

“The main thing is it’s genuine,” said Hartenstein. “We’re not coming in trying to fake something. We really all support each other.

“We’re not trying to put something on for the TV or for the world to see. We’re really supporting each other and I think that’s what makes it special.”

Andrew Nembhard led the host Pacers (15-16) with 23 points. Indiana took a 61-53 half-time lead before the Thunder struck in the second half and closed the game on a 17-7 run for the victory.

“We didn’t get off to the start we wanted,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But that’s what good teams do, play through situations and because we did that we got the W.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, who set his career high of 45 points last month in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, sank a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 114-109 edge with 59 seconds remaining and sank six free throws in the final 36 seconds to seal the triumph.

His crucial 3-pointer came after extra work on his outside shooting and confidence to keep firing after a miss.

“It feels good, but that’s what the work is about,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It went in because I took the shot.

“In the past, I probably would have gotten discouraged missing one and not shooting it, but I would like to think I’ve grown a bit, enough to trust in my work, take a shot, stay true to it and it paid off tonight because of that.

“But it’s about continuing to push forward. I’m going to miss some and I’m going to make some. You’ve always got to stay shooting.”

In a Florida showdown, Tyler Herro sank a jump shot with 0.1 of a second remaining to give the Miami Heat an 89-88 NBA thriller triumph over the host Orlando Magic.

Herro scored 20 points to lead the Heat, whose president Pat Riley said hours earlier that the team has no plans to trade All-Star forward Jimmy Butler.

At Washington, the NBA-worst Wizards improved to 5-23 by beating Charlotte 113-110 as Jordan Poole scored 25 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer for Washington with 8.1 seconds remaining.

Host Atlanta got 30 points and 15 rebounds from Jalen Johnson and 27 points and 13 assists from Trae Young in a 141-133 triumph over Chicago. Zach LaVine had 37 points in a losing cause.

The Houston Rockets, led by 30 points from Jalen Green and 27 off the bench by Cam Whitmore, beat host New Orleans 128-111.

With stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard out due to illness, the Milwaukee Bucks lost at home to Brooklyn 111-105 as Cameron Johnson led the Nets with 29 points.

Zach Edey had 21 points and 16 rebounds and Jaren Jackson added 21 points and 11 rebounds to spark the Memphis Grizzlies over visiting Toronto 155-126.

Topics: basketball NBA

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Two killed in treacherous Sydney-Hobart yacht race

Updated 27 December 2024
AFP
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Two killed in treacherous Sydney-Hobart yacht race

  • Both crew members were struck on the head by booms as the yachts raced southwards along the New South Wales coast, police said
  • So far 17 yachts have pulled out from the initial fleet of 104 that left Sydney Harbor on Boxing Day
Updated 27 December 2024
AFP

SYDNEY: Two sailors have been killed in separate incidents in the treacherous Sydney to Hobart bluewater classic, officials said Friday, as a string of yachts limped out of a race fleet battered by powerful winds.

Both crew members — a 55-year-old man on Flying Fish Arctos and a 65-year-old man on Bowline — were struck on the head by booms as the yachts raced southwards along the New South Wales coast, police said.

Other crew tried to revive the two Australians but were unsuccessful. They were the first fatalities in the race since 1998.

Police believe crews on both boats were changing sails when the booms swung, said New South Wales marine area command superintendent Joseph McNulty.

“The hull moves, the sails are moving, the booms are moving. It’s a technical change of sail at sea. So that may have contributed to the deaths of those people today,” he told reporters.

“Both those crews are doing it pretty tough at the moment. They are shaken up by what they’ve seen and what they’ve had to do.”

So far 17 yachts — including race record holder Comanche — have pulled out from the initial fleet of 104 that left Sydney Harbor on Boxing Day, organizers said.

Several were dismasted or suffered damaged mainsails.

The lead boats experienced winds overnight of 25 to 30 knots — near gale force, said David Jacobs, vice commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

“So they’re traveling extremely fast,” he told reporters.

“The sea was not unusually large from the information I have received,” he said.

The deaths would hit the racing community hard, Jacobs said.

“On a boat itself they train together, live together, cook together, they do everything together. It would be devastating, as we are devastated,” he said.

He promised an investigation by the yacht club to help improve safety in the event but said the race would go on.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement saying it was “heartbreaking that two lives have been lost at what should have been a time of joy.”

Gale-force winds and high seas had been forecast for the 628-nautical mile event, which ends in the Tasmanian state capital Hobart after the fleet tackles the notorious Bass Strait.

But this was not an “extreme” forecast, Jacobs said.

“These fleets can handle those winds easily. They are ocean racers, they are used to the winds,” he said.

In a night of drama, one man was swept overboard from the yacht Porco Rosso and carried more than a kilometer (more than half a mile) away before being rescued by his crew, Jacobs said.

Weather is a critical factor in the race, first held in 1945, with winds and sea conditions often changing rapidly.

The overnight fatalities were the first in the race since 1998 when six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued after a deep depression exploded over the fleet in Bass Strait.

Comanche’s retirement left the door open for supermaxi rival LawConnect to win line honors for the second straight year.

Comanche, which surged over the finish line in one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds to set a new mark in 2017, was leading when she retired.

LawConnect held a lead of more than 18 nautical miles by early Friday afternoon over its nearest rival Celestial.

Wild Oats, which has twice won the race — the last time in 2014 — was among this year’s casualties, with rigging damage.

Alive, last year’s overall winner of the Tattersall Cup, which takes into account boat size and other factors, was one of the first to pull out this year, retiring with engine issues.

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Haaland penalty failure and Fernandes red card pile on woes for City and United in Premier League

Updated 27 December 2024
AP
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Haaland penalty failure and Fernandes red card pile on woes for City and United in Premier League

  • Liverpool rallied to a 3-1 win over Leicester in foggy conditions at Anfield and moved seven points clear atop the standings approaching the halfway point of the campaign
  • Nottingham Forest won 1-0 against Tottenham and are a big surprise in third place
Updated 27 December 2024
AP

LONDON: Erling Haaland’s failure from the penalty spot and Bruno Fernandes’ latest red card compounded the woes of Manchester City and Manchester United on another tough day for the two Premier League giants.

There were no such problems Thursday for Liverpool, who rallied to a 3-1 win over Leicester in foggy conditions at Anfield and moved seven points clear atop the standings approaching the halfway point of the campaign.

City dropped more points in their improbably poor run of form by drawing 1-1 at home to Everton, with Haaland having a spot kick saved by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 53rd minute.

The four-time defending champions have only won one of their last 13 games in all competitions and manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged he needs to spend in the January transfer window to reverse City’s slide.

“The transfer window in the winter is not easy, but even the players know that we have to add some new players,” said Guardiola, who has had to cope without a host of key players, including Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, through injury this season.

While City are languishing in seventh place, United are even further adrift in 14th place after a 2-0 loss at lowly Wolverhampton.

United played almost the entire second half with 10 men after Fernandes collected his second yellow card in the 47th minute. It was the United captain’s third sending-off of the season, though one was rescinded.

After seeing second-place Chelsea also drop points after conceding in the fifth minute of stoppage time to lose 2-1 at home to Fulham, Liverpool recovered from conceding in the sixth minute against Leicester to extend their lead. Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool’s goals.

Nottingham Forest won 1-0 against Tottenham and are a big surprise in third place.

City pain

City secured only their fifth point in the league since the end of October but that will be scant consolation to Guardiola, whose beleaguered team squandered a winning position after going ahead through Bernardo Silva’s deflected shot in the 14th. Iliman Ndiaye equalized in the 36th.

Haaland’s penalty failure means the Norway international has only scored once in his last seven games. He headed in from the rebound after his spot kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Haaland, who last week admitted his form had not been good enough during a run that has seen City’s season unravel, held his head in his hands after his failure to score from the spot. He still has 18 goals in 25 appearances this season, but has not scored in a win for his club since the 1-0 victory against Southampton on Oct. 26.

“We shoot a lot in the 18-yard box, but unfortunately we could not get the results that we wanted,” Guardiola said.

City’s damaging run has seen them slip down the standings in the league and crash out of the English League Cup. Guardiola’s team is also in danger of missing out on qualifying in the Champions League — sitting just one point above the cut-off point with two games left.

Goal from a corner

Wolves’ first goal against United came direct from a corner, with Brazil striker Matheus Cunha seeing his kick curl over the head of goalkeeper Andre Onana and into the far corner in the 58th minute.

“I was shooting — we train to shoot,” Cunha said.

Such goals are rare, though United also conceded from a corner in its 4-3 loss to Tottenham in the English League Cup this month. Son Heung-min scored on that occasion.

Wolves added a second through Hwang Hee-chan in the ninth minute of stoppage time and have won two straight games since Vitor Pereira replaced Gary O’Neil as manager. Cunha has 10 goals this season.

Salah scores again

Salah moved three goals clear of second-place Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot, his 16th of the campaign completing Liverpool’s recovery after Gakpo curled in the equalizer in first-half stoppage time and Jones made it 2-1 in the 49th.

Salah has scored at least one goal in nine of his last 10 league matches, and has 19 goals in all competitions this season.

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 20 matches in all competitions, the only defeat all season under new manager Arne Slot coming at home to Forest in the league in September.

“This year feels different,” Salah said of Liverpool’s title chances, “but the most important thing is we need to stay humble.”

Chelsea slump

Chelsea have dropped points in successive games, after drawing 0-0 at Everton last week.

The Blues gave up a lead earned by Cole Palmer in the 16th as Harry Wilson equalized in the 82nd and Rodrigo Muniz grabbed a late winner for Fulham, which won at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 45 years.

Arsenal can now jump from fourth to second with a win against Ipswich on Friday.

Forest win again

Forest’s remarkable season shows little sign of slowing after Anthony Elanga’s winner against Tottenham at the City Ground. Forest are a point behind Chelsea.

Aston Villa was already a goal down to Newcastle after Anthony Gordon’s strike in the second minute when Jhon Duran was sent off in the 32nd. Alexander Isak and Joelinton added goals for the hosts in a 3-0 win.

West Ham had to cope with first-half injuries to defender Max Kilman and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, but still won 1-0 at Southampton.

Topics: Mohammed Salah Erling Haaland Bruno Fernandes Manchester city Manchester United Liverpool English Premier League (EPL)

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Troubled Man City held by lowly Everton, Chelsea title bid rocked

Updated 27 December 2024
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Troubled Man City held by lowly Everton, Chelsea title bid rocked

Updated 27 December 2024
AFP

LONDON: Erling Haaland had a second-half penalty saved as crisis-torn Manchester City failed to end their dismal run with a 1-1 draw against lowly Everton, while title contenders Chelsea suffered a first home defeat against Fulham since 1979 on Thursday.
Champions City have just one victory in their last 13 games in all competitions as their Christmas schedule started in disappointing fashion.
Bernardo Silva put City in front early on before Iliman Ndiaye salvaged a point for Everton.
City are languishing in seventh place and sit five points adrift of the top four, with their astonishing decline showing no sign of ending.
City boss Pep Guardiola conceded ahead of the game that his troubled side are at risk of failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 15 years and their latest setback was another blow to that target.
“Of course we need results and we didn’t get it. The team played really good again in all departments and unfortunately could not win,” Guardiola said.
“We accept it. It is life. We did not expect it to not win games many times. But what do you have to do? Continue.”
Everton had kept five clean sheets in their last six games but were breached after just 14 minutes.
Jeremy Doku fed Silva and his effort across goal deflected off Jarrad Branthwaite and looped beyond the helpless Jordan Pickford.
Everton levelled when Manuel Akanji sliced an attempted clearance into the path of Ndiaye, who fired into the top corner for Everton’s first away goal in over two months.
Seven minutes into the second half, Haaland had the chance to end his longest goal drought at the Etihad but Pickford dived low to his right to make the save.
At Stamford Bridge, second-placed Chelsea were stunned by Fulham’s late fightback for a 2-1 win in a dramatic west London derby.
Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead after 16 minutes, the England forward drilling home from the edge of the area after weaving through the Fulham defense in dazzling style.
But Fulham levelled with eight minutes left when Antonee Robinson’s cross was headed down by Timothy Castagne and Harry Wilson nodded in from close range.
Chelsea were furious, claiming Alex Iwobi had fouled Pedro Neto in the build-up to the goal.
But there was worse to come for the Blues in stoppage-time when Rodrigo Muniz converted Sasa Lukic’s pass with a clinical strike.
Chelsea are four points behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand and host Leicester later on Thursday.
Nottingham Forest climbed to third place after a 1-0 win against spluttering Tottenham at the City Ground.
Forest went ahead in the 28th minute when Anthony Elanga raced onto Morgan Gibbs-White’s pass and stroke a composed finish past Fraser Forster.
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo had just 17 games in charge of Tottenham before being sacked in 2021.
But Forest’s fourth successive win was sweet revenge for Nuno, whose former club had Djed Spence sent off in the closing moments for a second booking.
Tottenham are stuck in 11th place as the pressure mounts on boss Ange Postecoglou.
Newcastle swatted aside 10-man Aston Villa 3-0, moving up to fifth place after winning three consecutive league games for the first time since 2023.
Anthony Gordon struck with a superb curling strike after just two minutes at St. James’ Park.
Villa’s Jhon Duran was sent off in the 32nd minute for violent conduct after stamping on Newcastle’s Fabian Schar.
Alexander Isak made Newcastle’s numerical advantage count in the 59th minute as the Swedish striker tapped in his seventh goal in his last six appearances.
Joelinton wrapped up the points in stoppage-time with a curler from 18 yards.
Jarrod Bowen’s 59th-minute goal gave West Ham a 1-0 win at bottom of the table Southampton after the visitors saw Guido Rodriguez’s red card overturned by VAR.
It was a frustrating start for new Saints boss Ivan Juric, who has replaced the sacked Russell Martin.
Bournemouth and Crystal Palace shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium.

Topics: Manchester city Chelsea

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Rafael Nadal motivated to ‘create beautiful project’ for tennis in Saudi Arabia

Rafael Nadal spent some time in Jeddah last weekend as part of his role as Saudi Tennis Federation ambassador. (Supplied)
Updated 26 December 2024
Reem Abulleil
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Rafael Nadal motivated to ‘create beautiful project’ for tennis in Saudi Arabia

  • Spanish legend and STF ambassador believes Kingdom’s sports development and youth engagement is moving in the right direction
Updated 26 December 2024
Reem Abulleil

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.”

Topics: Rafael Nadal Saudi Arabia tennis Saudi Tennis Federation ambassador

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