Nadal sees 'potential' in Saudi Arabia as he signs up as tennis ambassador / Photo: © AFP
RIO
-0.3300
The Fort Worth Press - Nadal sees 'potential' in Saudi Arabia as he signs up as tennis ambassador
USD
-
AED 3.672997
AFN 64.000164
ALL 81.403383
AMD 360.301714
ANG 1.789785
AOA 916.999952
ARS 1539.589701
AUD 1.421838
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.703834
BAM 1.755348
BBD 2.014118
BDT 124.150744
BGN 1.747831
BHD 0.37735
BIF 3000
BMD 1
BND 1.281553
BOB 11.995315
BRL 5.417004
BSD 1.000013
BTN 95.207367
BWP 13.822349
BYN 2.947868
BYR 19600
BZD 2.01121
CAD 1.397803
CDF 2315.000008
CHF 0.82609
CLF 0.025058
CLP 989.409745
CNY 6.6611
CNH 6.656465
COP 3177.45
CRC 454.76167
CUC 1
CUP 24.000287
CVE 99.195576
CZK 21.806196
DJF 177.720164
DKK 6.693635
DOP 60.650084
DZD 135.330075
EGP 56.024304
ERN 15
ETB 161.250258
EUR 0.89554
FJD 2.243198
FKP 0.751792
GBP 0.74805
GEL 2.595036
GGP 0.751792
GHS 11.650329
GIP 0.751792
GMD 74.000007
GNF 8799.999856
GTQ 7.645879
GYD 209.614159
HKD 7.84615
HNL 27.000355
HRK 6.76901
HTG 131.054259
HUF 327.282498
IDR 18158
ILS 3.109045
IMP 0.751792
INR 95.152601
IQD 1515
IRR 1868415.000516
ISK 121.719613
JEP 0.751792
JMD 158.760361
JOD 0.709007
JPY 157.875031
KES 129.949529
KGS 87.447976
KHR 4075.505048
KMF 442.00014
KPW 899.999961
KRW 1339.225041
KWD 0.31094
KYD 0.833326
KZT 453.3167
LAK 22524.999961
LBP 89550.000213
LKR 332.450795
LRD 170.239896
LSL 16.67011
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 6.429733
MAD 9.853019
MDL 18.045072
MGA 4589.999848
MKD 55.267858
MMK 2099.638249
MNT 3597.631144
MOP 8.082337
MRU 40.205896
MUR 47.480053
MVR 15.46008
MWK 1736.999688
MXN 18.84011
MYR 4.059703
MZN 63.898681
NAD 16.669951
NGN 1345.804821
NIO 36.798275
NOK 9.26212
NPR 152.332146
NZD 1.77622
OMR 0.384504
PAB 1.000013
PEN 3.452006
PGK 4.489903
PHP 63.737009
PKR 276.6498
PLN 3.93055
PYG 5858.938516
QAR 3.64525
RON 4.782897
RSD 105.236998
RUB 81.251808
RWF 1477.5
SAR 3.7541
SBD 8.064705
SCR 13.826939
SDG 601.508796
SEK 9.85623
SGD 1.280325
SHP 0.750582
SLE 22.950016
SLL 20969.504398
SOS 571.50203
SRD 37.644503
STD 20697.981008
STN 22.35
SVC 8.749697
SYP 13001.999685
SZL 16.620279
THB 33.721987
TJS 9.190174
TMT 3.51
TND 3.00825
TOP 2.40776
TRY 49.837005
TTD 6.779691
TWD 32.559103
TZS 2643.77306
UAH 45.55389
UGX 4360.137679
UYU 40.22581
UZS 11990.000202
VES 887.00815
VND 25814
VUV 119.133003
WST 2.76699
XAF 587.435889
XAG 0.019185
XAU 0.000249381223
XCD 2.70255
XCG 1.802288
XDR 0.707052
XOF 587.435889
XPF 107.374973
YER 236.174996
ZAR 16.625009
ZMK 9001.201938
ZMW 20.200416
ZWL 321.999592
SSP 5745.303054
MXV 2.123926
- Antonelli struck with illness ahead of Mexico GP
- Zverev 'on top of the world' after securing No. 1 ranking
- Google drags down US stocks as Lagarde signals early ECB exit
- Clash of styles as Vikings, Lions prepare for NFL showdown
- Kuwait minister and Blind Association discuss support for visually impaired people
- After a long slog to the top, Zverev leaps to No. 1 ranking
- 'Star Trek', 'X-Men' star Patrick Stewart dead at 86
- GCC legislative officials review ways to deepen regional cooperation
- Kuwait traffic authority cautions against hazard lights while driving in rain
- Canada buying stake in AI firm Cohere to bolster tech sovereignty
Nadal sees 'potential' in Saudi Arabia as he signs up as tennis ambassador
Rafael Nadal was named ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation on Monday, as the Gulf kingdom aims to host more professional tournaments as part of a broader sports push.
"Everywhere you look in Saudi Arabia, you can see growth and progress and I'm excited to be part of that," the 37-year-old Spaniard, winner of 22 Grand Slams, said in a federation press release.
"I continue to play tennis as I love the game. But beyond playing I want to help the sport grow far and wide across the world and in Saudi there is real potential."
Nadal was due to feature in the ongoing Australian Open having been out of the game since injuring his hip at the 2023 edition.
After winning his opening two matches at the warm-up event in Brisbane, however, to tore a muscle and was forced to miss the first Grand Slam of the year.
Nadal had previously said there was a "high percentage" that 2024 would be his farewell to the tour.
The announcement comes after a busy 2023 for tennis in Saudi Arabia, which hosted its first ATP Tour event -- the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah -- and closed out the year with exhibition matches pitting Novak Djokovic against Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka against Ons Jabeur.
Nadal recently visited a junior tennis clinic in Riyadh, and his new role will involve "dedicated time in the kingdom each year" to grow the sport as well as the development of a new Rafa Nadal Academy, the Saudi federation said on Monday.
Sport is a major component of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform agenda, which aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a tourism and business hub while transitioning the world's biggest crude oil exporter away from fossil fuels.
Saudi Arabia has lured football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to play in the Saudi Pro League, hosted heavyweight bouts and funded the upstart LIV Golf tour to take on the PGA Tour.
The kingdom has also been named host of the 2034 World Cup.
But Saudi Arabia has been accused by its critics of "sportswashing" by using sport to improve its international reputation after widespread criticism for its human rights and environmental record
The five-year deal to bring the Next Gen ATP Finals to Jeddah "signals the country's intent to make tennis a major part of its international calendar and is the first of many likely professional tennis tournaments to be held in the country," the Saudi federation said.
L.Holland--TFWP
