"In my academy, he won't have problems" - Rafael Nadal vows to help gay tennis players in Saudi Arabia despite country's anti-LGBTQ sentiments

Rafael Nadal has no qualms about helping gay tennis players being accepted into his academy after his recent appointment as the ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF).

Last month, Nadal signed up to train the next generation of tennis players in Saudi Arabia as a part of the latter's 'Vision 2030' program. The 22-time Major winner will also establish a new branch of his academy in the country to offer training and education services.

In light of the above news, the Spaniard recently sat down with Spanish radio station Cardena COPE to discuss the ins and outs of his collaboration with Saudi Arabia. He was given quite an intriguing hypothetical scenario during the interview; whether he would help develop a homosexual budding young player's game in his Saudi Arabian academy, considering the country provides no protection for LGBT rights.

The former World No. 1 claimed that while a gay tennis player would have no problems training at his academy, he couldn't assure their safety in the Gulf Country. Having said that, the 37-year-old did assert that he wanted to contribute to homosexual athletes not being persecuted for their gender identity in the next few years.

"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," Rafael Nadal said to Cardena COPE. "Things cannot be changed from today to tomorrow, the objective is that this is not debated in six, eight, or ten years and that I can contribute to ensuring that it is not talked about in a few years. If it doesn't happen, I'll be disappointed."

---

Rafael Nadal also tasked with visiting Riyadh for tennis clinic every year

Rafael Nadal greets kids at the 2020 ATP Cup

According to the terms of Rafael Nadal's deal with the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF), the Spaniard will also have to conduct and oversee a tennis clinic for juniors. He had high praise for the country's efforts to grow avenues for sports, going by his press release for STF.

"Everywhere you look in Saudi Arabia, you can see growth and progress and I’m excited to be part of that," Rafael Nadal said. "I continue to play tennis as I love the game. But beyond playing I want to help the sport grow far and wide across the world and in Saudi there is real potential."

As far as his own playing career is concerned, the 22-time Major winner is having quite a hard time. He made his much-awaited return to the ATP Tour in January at the Brisbane International. The Spaniard's campaign at the 250-level tournament, however, ended on an alarming note as he injured his left hip during his quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson.

Nadal had to sit out of the Australian Open a few weeks later, and he also withdrew from the 2024 Qatar Open recently. If all goes according to plan, the Spaniard will compete in Indian Wells next month. He is a three-time champion at the ATP 1000 tournament (2007, 2009, 2013).