Rafael Nadal gives brutally honest verdict on Saudi Arabia criticism and sportswashing claims

Rafael Nadal has addressed criticism of his links to Saudi Arabia candidly and at length following his appearance at the Six Kings Slam exhibition. 

The 22-time Grand Slam winner lost to Carlos Alcaraz in his semi-final match at the event in Riyadh before falling to Novak Djokovic in the third place playoff.

In January, the Saudi Tennis Federation announced that Nadal had taken up a role as a tennis ambassador for the Middle Eastern nation.

The tennis great came under fire for accepting the role as Saudi Arabia has been accused of trying to improve its image and overshadow its human rights record by investing huge money in sport.

The ATP Rankings are sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), while the Next Gen ATP Finals are currently held in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

In addition, the WTA Finals will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, for the first time next month. It has also been reported that Saudi Arabia are pushing to have an ATP Masters 1000 tournament held in the country.

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After the Six Kings Slam, Nadal spoke in detail about the controversy around his involvement with Saudi Arabia. Here is everything the former world No 1 said on the matter in an interview with Spanish outlet AS.  

“What happens is that there comes a certain moment when you can be in one place or another, based on your opinion. I respect all opinions, as long as mine are also respected,” Nadal began.

“Do they pay me to come here? Yes. But we must not lose perspective. You come here and what do you think? Are you doing good or bad? Because the only problem in the end is that you get paid for it.

“Because, really, by coming here, you help the country. And those who speak in such a drastic way against the country, very well.

“So, what do you want? For them to continue being bad, for them to continue keeping the country locked up, with more inequality? There is only one reality.

“In the end, by coming here, we make events happen and tourists come, something that didn’t happen four or five years ago.

“Let’s not kid ourselves, people call it sportwashing and of course there is a part of that, but the other part is that really thanks to all of that, people who have been locked up in this country and have not been able to see a different world, thanks to all the tourists who are coming, to all the events that are taking place here throughout the year, see another world, other cultures, and they have the ability to really move forward.

“So, I don’t have the slightest doubt that the people who come to do events here, from any field, do good for the country.

“Because things are not perfect, which they are not, I would only have to say the opposite, obviously they have a long way to go, do we let them continue to be bad or at least do good and help them? Because in the end, if you did that without charging, would we see it as good?

“Well, obviously, like many other colleagues, like most governments in the world, like most companies, we are really lucky that we get paid to come here, without a doubt, there is no need to hide.

“Here, they are still behind in time compared to the West. The thing is that the prism we have is different from what they live. Because in the end, they live it as they have done all their lives.

“Changes cannot happen from one day to the next 100%, because society is not prepared for a radical change. No society has ever been like this in history, this change has to happen gradually.

“I believe that all these things that are happening in the country mean that this change, instead of happening in 50 or 60 years, will happen in a much shorter time. And I believe that, in some way, despite all the criticism, it is worth it and I accept the criticism, I respect it.

“If in ten years, things are still bad or the country closes down, then obviously I will say that I was told something that was not true.

“Now the Next Gen Finals are coming, the women will come to play the WTA Finals and they also earn a significant amount of money, obviously. And I, of what I earn, when I return to Spain I pay 60% in taxes and that’s it, it’s not like I take the money to another part of the world.

“I am paid to do a task or a job, but I think that it will really be a job that will be worthwhile. And yes, I am in favour, without a doubt, unlike many who think differently, that you cannot say that, since things are not perfect, that all the citizens there should be screwed, that things are worse.

“That is the other prism of vision, I have another one. If things are still not perfect, but we help them to evolve and for the people who are here to be better in a continuous way, well then.

“I support the existence of tourism in this country, without a doubt, because, in the end, when people come here they see a different world that they have not seen in their life or in their previous history.

“This is my point of view. Afterwards, everyone will have their opinion. I try, as always, to accept criticism always within certain standards of respect. When respect is avoided, I obviously do not share it.”

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