"Rafael Nadal believes he can help change the lives of many young people" - Spaniard's uncle Toni comes to his defense after controversial Saudi move

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni, who also served as his coach, has spoken out in support of the Spaniard amid the controversy sparked by his recent Saudi Arabia move.

Nadal took on the role of ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation last month. He will now focus on promoting tennis in the Gulf Country and is set to establish a new Rafa Nadal Academy there.

Besides the criticism, Nadal has also received support from prominent figures, with his uncle Toni being the latest addition to the list.

In a recent interview with the Spanish daily El Mundo, the veteran coach endorsed Nadal's decision, stating that his nephew believes he can make a positive impact and improve the situation for young aspiring tennis players in the region.

"My nephew was offered to try to get young people to do sports in that country. Rafa believes that what he can contribute can help change and improve society and the lives of many young people just as if he did it in Cuba or in Venezuela," Toni said.

Toni added that the best approach to encourage a country like Saudi Arabia to further engage in sports is not through boycotts, but by guiding their young generation.

"I think that today we live in an excessively hypocritical world. How do you help improve a country more, by boycotting Saudi Arabia or helping its young people?" he said.

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Rafael Nadal's Saudi Arabia deal reportedly helped clear his academy's debts

Rafael Nadal pictured at the 2023 Australian Open

According to renowned tennis commentator Craig Shapiro, Rafael Nadal's ambassadorship deal with Saudi Arabia has significantly benefited his tennis academy in Mallorca.

Nadal owns a team, Team Rafa, in the E1 World Championships, an all-electric water boat racing competition. The first leg of this event took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from February 2-3.

Team Rafa finished third overall, behind Team Miami owned by singer Marc Anthony, and Team Brady owned by NFL star Tom Brady.

Following this event, Shapiro hosted an Instagram Q&A session during which a user asked for his opinion on the 22-time Grand Slam champion's involvement in the E1 World Championships.

"Nadal is involved in something called E1 series in Jeddah. Must be his passion, I guess. Opinion," the fan asked.

In his response, Shapiro redirected the focus to Nadal's Saudi deal, mentioning that he had heard it assisted in clearing the debts of the Spaniard's academy.

"I was told they had huge debt on the academy and that got wiped out by the Saudi deal they did," Shapiro wrote.