What does Rafael Nadal being named as ambassador for Saudi Arabian tennis mean for the sport?

"It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll" - AC/DC.

This morning, like any other, while scrolling through tennis Twitter (or should I say X?), I came across the news that Rafael Nadal is now the ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation. Weirdly, the above lyrics popped into my mind. I mean, hard rock isn't typically my go-to genre, but hey, life's a wild ride, right?

It wasn't until midday, after being bombarded with online tennis specialists sharing their two cents on Nadal's move, that I began to piece together the significance of the song. After all, sometimes it takes a bit of reflection amid the chaos to connect the dots.

As I thought about it more, I realized that even though I may not agree with Nadal's decision completely and legends like John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have their reservations too regarding the Gulf country, it's not just about us. It's about what's best for the game we all love – tennis.

Before you come at me questioning Saudi Arabia's controversial acts, let's take a step back. With football icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., and Karim Benzema diving into the Saudi Pro League, golfers like Jon Rahm joining LIV Golf and even Formula 1, WWE, boxing and horse racing making their way there, a crossover with big names in tennis was bound to happen sooner or later. It's part of a larger trend, whether we like it or not.

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Rafael Nadal thinks there is a big opportunity to grow tennis in Saudi Arabia and so do I

Rafael Nadal has clarified his decision to become the ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation, saying that he sees "real potential" for tennis growth in the country.

"Everywhere you look in Saudi Arabia, you can see growth and progress, and I'm excited to be part of that," Nadal said, according to a press release from the federation."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."

I'm on the same page as Nadal if I'm being completely honest. I genuinely see a bigger picture here. Given the financial challenges in tennis for lower-ranked players as Sumit Nagal pointed out in 2023, this could be a beacon of hope.

Saudi Arabia turned heads last year, hosting its inaugural ATP Tour event – the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. They concluded the year with a bang, featuring exhibition matches in Riyadh that saw Novak Djokovic playing against Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka competing against Ons Jabeur.

The ATP tournament came with a hefty $2 million prize money. Djokovic and Alcaraz reportedly took home at least $1 million each while the money details for the WTA stars haven't been disclosed yet.

The Middle Eastern country seems poised to play a big role in the future of tennis. They are hosting the ATP Next Gen Finals till 2027 and are likely to host the WTA Finals this year. They are reportedly in talks to buy the Miami Open and Madrid Open as well.

Here's the deal – I can't predict how this Saudi-tennis collaboration will turn out and neither can you. However, there's reason to be optimistic as, according to The Guardian, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of the Oil giants has thrown in about $6.3 billion in sports deals since early 2021. That's a massive investment.

So, imagine the positive developments it could bring to our beloved sport. It's all about looking at the bigger picture and taking one step at a time. As The 1975 wisely said and Rafael Nadal exemplified with his recent move, "If you never shoot, you'll never know."