Rafael Nadal poses with former Spanish footballer David Villa at his School of Sport as he delivers welcome address to new students

Rafael Nadal (L) and David Villa (R)
Rafael Nadal (L) and David Villa (R)

Rafael Nadal crossed paths with former Spanish football player David Villa at the Alfonso X El Sabio University (UAX) in Madrid. The Spaniard visited the university to deliver the welcome address to new students joining the UAX Rafa Nadal School of Sport.

The Rafa Nadal School of Sport was established in 2022 in collaboration with the 22-time Grand Slam champion's academy in Mallorca. Its primary objective, as outlined on the university's website, is to train professionals in the "three areas of driving knowledge of the sports industry: health, sport, and business."

At the university's Welcome Day for the 2023-2024 academic year, the Spaniard addressed the incoming students. While at the event, he also had the opportunity to meet with compatriot and former Barcelona FC star David Villa.

Villa took to social media and posted a picture of him posing with the former World No. 1 at the event. He also expressed his delight at attending the ceremony alongside the 37-year-old:

"Pleased to join Rafa Nadal and my friends from the Alfonso X el Sabio University in the opening act of the academic year 2023-2024," he captioned the post on Instagam. (Translated from Spanish)

Rafael Nadal opens up about the possibility of becoming Real Madrid president in the future

The Spaniard attends Real Madrid's match
The Spaniard attends Real Madrid's match

Last weekend, Rafael Nadal met with Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez during his visit to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium for the team's win 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in a La Liga clash.

In a recent interview with Movistar+, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was asked if he would like to become the president of Real Madrid in the future. The Spaniard, who is a passionate fan of Los Blancos, expressed his interest in assuming the role.

"I don’t know. I promise that it’s not always been a dream of mine. But if you ask me if I’d like to be Real Madrid president, I think I would," he said.

However, he also acknowledged current president Florentino Perez's excellence in presiding over the team.

"But first of all, we’ve got the best possible president at the moment. On top of that, how I feel today might not be how I feel tomorrow. And then you never know what can happen in life," he added.

Although the former World No. 1 admitted his reservations regarding his capability to fulfill the role, he did not rule out the possibility of assuming the position in the future.

"You have to know if you’re capable of doing that type of thing. I’m quite realistic with myself, I more or less know my limitations. I don’t know if I’d be capable of doing it or not. Anyway, time will tell," he said.

What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here

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