Nadal justifies his role as Saudi tennis ambassador: "An opportunity to get to know a different culture"

Rafael Nadal, who retired in mid-November, appeared in Jeddah last week to fulfil his ambassadorial duties for the Saudi Tennis Federation.

A role he had accepted in January, despite the controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia's women's rights and other issues.

In an interview with The National on Thursday, the Majorcan explained why he had decided to take on this new mission: "For me, it's first and foremost an opportunity to get to know a different culture.

Secondly, to promote the sport in a region which is developing in this respect...

I want to be remembered here as someone who helps new generations to train and play more and more tennis.

All over Saudi Arabia, you can see growth and progress, and I'm delighted to be part of it.

But beyond the game, I want to help the sport grow worldwide and in Saudi Arabia, there's real potential."