Rafael Nadal controversy: Spaniard's latest partnership deal with Saudi Arabia and why it has displeased fans

Saudi Arabia's foray into the tennis world got another boost after the country's tennis federation appointed Rafael Nadal as its ambassador. The 22-time Major champion is set to spend some quality time in the country to groom the next generation of players.

Nadal also has plans to open a branch of his own tennis academy in Saudi Arabia. He shared this excitement regarding the same and was pleased to see the enthusiasm among the people for the sport during his recent visit there.

"Growth and progress that’s important to see and the STF is working on that. In a recent visit I saw the interest in both aspects and I want to be part of that role of growing the sport of tennis around the world," - he said.

"The kids are looking to the future and I saw they are passionate about sports… I want to encourage them to pick up a racket and enjoy the benefits of a healthy living," - he added.

However, the reception to Nadal's latest move hasn't been entirely positive. Fans aren't pleased to see the tennis icon be a part of Saudi Arabia's alleged attempt to rebrand their image.

Fans cited the country's track record on human rights, especially with regards to women's and LGBTQ rights, as a major reason why Nadal should have stayed away from associating with them.

Nadal has had a relatively squeaky-clean image throughout his career so far. He has received little to no backlash as he has managed to stay away from potential scandals. However, his latest actions have upset a certain section of his fanbase, who hold their idol to high standards.

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Saudi Arabia has been making moves to tap into the tennis market even before roping in Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz participated in an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia recently.

Saudi Arabia has been eyeing the tennis market for quite some time now. They tried to host last year's WTA Finals, which were eventually held in Cancun, Mexico. There were also talks of some other WTA events being held in Saudi Arabia, along with a potential stake or a buyout of the women's tour.

The WTA's financials have been quite shaky of late, so there's a possibility of that happening as well. Billie Jean King backed the idea last year, but so far there has been no further buzz with respect to that.

The Next Gen ATP Finals moved to Saudi Arabia last year, with the city of Jeddah hosting it until 2027. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and Ons Jabeur participated in an exhibition event in the nation towards the end of last year too.

This aggressive push from the country is not only limited to tennis, but other sports as well. The oil-rich nation has already made huge investments in football, golf, and boxing.

This investment has been labeled by several rights groups as "sportswashing", which is an attempt to improve one's image with the use of sports. This is generally done by nations or huge corporations that have been in the line of fire due to some misconduct. Whether tennis also goes by way of other sports or not remains to be seen.