By OkayGoal
Real Madrid have announced that 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal has joined the club’s board of directors.
Nadal is a lifelong Madrid fan despite being born and brought up in Mallorca.
The Spaniard retired in November 2024 after a glittering career that saw him win 22 grand slam crowns in total – including his record haul at Roland Garros – to sit second on the all-time list behind Novak Djokovic.
Alongside his tennis academy in Mallorca, Nadal is known to be eager to build his business interests and he will now have a say in the future of Real Madrid.
A club statement on Wednesday read: “The Board of Directors of Real Madrid CF, meeting today, Wednesday, November 4, has agreed to submit to the General Assembly of Compromise Partners the ratification of the appointment of Rafael Nadal Parera, member number 67,778 of our club, as a new member of the Board of Directors.
“Rafael Nadal, honorary member of Real Madrid, is one of the greatest legends in the history of sports and one of the most admired and recognized Spanish athletes worldwide.
“For Real Madrid, it is a huge pride that a figure of his sporting and human dimension, a reference of Spanish and world sport, becomes part of our Board of Directors and contributes, from this responsibility, to the present and future of our club.”
Real Madrid – Nadal shares the club’s values
The statement continued: “With his extraordinary track record, with 92 individual titles, including 22 grand slams, two Olympic gold medals, five Davis Cups with Spain and the number one in the world ranking, Rafael Nadal has starred in a legendary sporting career. But his stature represents much more than his successes: his talent, his spirit of permanent improvement, his capacity for sacrifice, his competitiveness, his humility, his respect for rivals and his team-mates, and his commitment to solidarity make him an example on and off the court.
“All these values are part of the identity of Real Madrid and Rafael Nadal has represented and defended them throughout his sporting life, becoming a benchmark for millions of people around the world.”
Nadal was thrilled by the news, saying: ” want to thank president Florentino Pérez and the Board for proposing that I join the Board of Directors of @realmadrid. I have accepted this proposal with great excitement, a desire to learn, and a willingness to contribute everything I can.”