SUMMARY
- Rafael Nadal has been appointed as the ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation.
- In light of the country's discriminatory laws, Nadal made his stance on LGBTQ+ issues known.
Rafael Nadal is one of the biggest stalwarts of tennis. So far in his career, Nadal has lent his voice of support to a lot of important issues. The Spaniard is now on a path to promote tennis in Saudi Arabia. However, given the country’s harsh stance on the LGBTQIA+ community, does Nadal have a contingency plan?
Recently, Nadal accepted the role of ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF). He is part of the ‘Vision 2030’ program, which will see him open a branch of his academy in Saudi Arabia to train the next generation of players. This move invited a lot of criticism from tennis fans, but Rafa defended his decision.
In the wake of this news, Rafa gave a lengthy interview to Spanish radio station Cardena COPE. He spoke on a variety of subjects when the host asked him what he would do if there was a queer athlete at his academy because the country has a history of persecuting queer individuals.
Nadal stated that the player would not face any discrimination at his academy, but he could not assure their safety in the country. However, Rafa added that he would do everything in his power to ensure that they would not run into trouble.
“In my Academy he won’t have problems, in the country I don’t know. The problem is that this happens but the reality is that I am going to try to prevent it from happening,” he said (via cope.es).
Rafael Nadal also elaborated that change would not happen overnight; it would take a few years. He did say that he would like to contribute towards a positive change, but he would be disappointed if it did not. Nadal has always defended LGBTQIA+ rights, and his stance is a welcoming one.
Rafael Nadal has always defended LGBTQ+ rights
The Middle East is not very accepting of queer people and has often meted out harsh punishments. When the FIFA 2022 World Cup was held in Qatar, this was a major issue.
Fans could not enter the stadiums wearing rainbow-colored clothing. Even the participating players were prevented from wearing the ‘OneLove’ armbands. Additionally, Qatar has a track record of committing several human rights violations.
Since this had become a global issue, Rafa also spoke up. “We are in a globalized world where people should have more and more rights. Everyone should have the freedom to express their feelings, as long as they don’t harm others,” he said.
Rafael Nadal has always spoken on important issues, and this was no exception. The Spaniard is currently recuperating from a minor injury, but he is set to play at Indian Wells next month.