Nadal, the adventure continues – AS.com

“I’ve always been happy outside of tennis and I don’t fear for my life after that. “I will always have many things that give me pleasure.”. This phrase was said Rafa Nadal after winning his 14th Roland Garros title in 2022, but he has said this before when asked about retiring. Now that this is a fact, after Spain’s defeat to Holland in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup final, one of the best athletes in history will have time to devote himself fully to his other passions, some of which are directly related to his own tennis. ““I’m going to retire from professional tennis, but I’m still here for anything. I hope to become a good ambassador for tennis,” Nadal himself said in his farewell speech at the Martin Carpena stadium in Malaga, showing that he wants to remain associated with tennis, but on the other side of the track.

This is the case with Rafa Nadal’s Movistar Academy.his life’s project, which he built in Manacor and expanded into a world-class complex in which other sports, including cycling or football, take place as a meeting place. Has 16 expressways; 20 clay courts, seven of them semi-covered; four covered; 12 paddle tennis courts (six indoors); two zucchini; multisport; football field; indoor and outdoor swimming pool; a gym and spa, as well as school and student housing, a hotel, a restaurant and a museum. The Rafal Nadal Academy, which has produced tennis players of the caliber of Casper Ruud, Jaume Munar and the up-and-coming Martin Landalucé, as well as the Philippines’ Alexandra Ila in the women’s tournament, and which has produced the children of tennis greats such as Bjorn Borg or Roger Federer.

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Associated with the academy is the Rafa Nadal Foundation, another of his remarkable works, which began in 2010 with the support of his mother Ana Maria and is managed by his wife Mary Perello.as a tool for social change. The first programs launched were NETS in collaboration with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation in India and Más que Tennis with the Special Olympics for people with disabilities. There are centers in Palma, Valencia and Madrid to develop plans for education, social inclusion, health and well-being…

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In addition to charitable activities, Nadal loves the sea and fishing. He has a luxury catamaran which he likes to get lost in whenever he can along the coast of the Balearic Islands. “I love the sea, I was born on an island and I would like to disappear into the sea for a couple of days and dive, which gives me a lot of peace. “Not just fishing, but looking at the bottom, seeing fish… When the weather is good, I spend two, three, four hours diving non-stop, and it takes me away from the world and allows me to think.”– he said in an interview with AS in 2018.

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In this speech, he also talked about another hobby he enjoys: golf. He has a handicap of -1.0 and has competed in championships in his region. It would make sense for him to see him soon at one of the professional tournaments held in Spain. as LIV Golf Valderrama or the Acciona Open in Madrid. Left-handed in tennis, Rafa swings with his right and has always called the American his idol in sports. Tiger Woods, with whom he is friends and has seen the game live several times. In fact, Rory McIlroy left him the following message on his social media after confirming the Spaniard’s retirement: “See you on the golf courses.”

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Footballer and Madrid fan

Nadal would have been a good football player if he had not chosen tennis. His uncle, Miguel Angel, was a player for Mallorca, Barcelona and the national team.and the ball hit his body. An avid Madridista (he never missed a single important match of his favorite team, even at Roland Garros), he could have a place in the club’s future. There are those who even see him as president when Florentino Perez leaves office. Although these are big words. At this point, it is possible that he will undergo surgery to have permanent surgery on his left leg and will be able to play with his colleagues and son Rafael Jr. when he is older. He also enjoys cycling and has tried playing padel tennis. You definitely won’t be bored.

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