Rafael Nadal's Charity Tour resumes after a long delay

Rafael Nadal has achieved immense success in tennis, and he makes sure that he gives back to the sport in equal measure. For starters, he has set up his tennis academy - the Rafa Nadal Academy - to coach upcoming players in the best manner possible. His involvement in the project is quite hands-on too; during the lock-down period, Nadal personally attended the practice sessions of some of the academy students.

What is perhaps less known is that Rafael Nadal also has a tennis circuit for U12 and U14 tennis players, which was created under his leadership. This event is now finally back in business after a long coronavirus-induced delay.

ATP/WTA : Le Rafa Nadal Tour by Mapfre est de retour à Madrid #RafaNadalTourbyMapfre #Nadal #Covid_19 #Madrid https://t.co/KBKrrjyXXD

— TennisActu (@TennisActu) July 18, 2020

The Rafa Nadal Tour by Mapfre was created in the year 2014, in order to raise funds for Nadal's charity - the Rafa Nadal Foundation. The tournament aims to combine sports with education for the U14 and U12 players in the country.

The children not only play against each other, but also receive training from the coaches of Rafael Nadal’s academy. Moreover, the values of sportsmanship, commitment, effort and fellowship are instilled into the youngsters at the right age.

Rafael Nadal

The winner of this unique tournament is adjudged on the basis of not just their on-court success, but their off-court behavior too. The ‘Trofeo de Valores’ title is awarded to the individual who possesses both strong values and a positive attitude.

Rafael Nadal clearly values sportsmanship and ethics as much as serves and forehands, which is not surprising given the way his legendary career has unfolded.

This year's edition of the tournament is back on track from today, after a four-month long delay. 330 aspiring players will take part in the event, and they will all be looking to emulate Carlos Alcaraz Garfia - the current World No. 318 and one of the most promising young players on tour.

Is Carlos Alcaraz Garfia the next Rafael Nadal?

Garfia was discovered during the 2016 edition of the tournament, and is touted by some to be the next Rafael Nadal.

Rafael Nadal continues his claycourt training

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, is steadily increasing the intensity of his training during the suspension of the tour. Nadal has been hitting regularly on the clay courts of his academy over the last few weeks, giving further indication that he might be looking to skip the US Open.

Rafael Nadal looks unlikely to defend his 2019 US Open crown

Much like the values emphasized on in his charity event, Rafael Nadal demonstrates exemplary on-court behavior even during training. He was seen cleaning the court after practice recently, making sure it was ready for use when the next player arrived.

A great example to all young athletes out there, regardless of what sport you play. If multiple Grand Slam Champion @RafaelNadal can clean his own court after him, then you can clean your training area up afterwards too. It’s called humility & respect. pic.twitter.com/EpWMrs0Qm4

— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) July 17, 2020

Rafael Nadal undoubtedly possesses a great deal of humility, and he has also retained his childlike love for the game despite being on tour for nearly two decades. The young players at his event would do well to imbibe both of those qualities.