Rafael Nadal has been asked by Amnesty International to utilize his new position as the Saudi Tennis Federation’s ambassador as a platform to advocate for human rights.
As part of the STF’s “long-term commitment to help grow the sport and inspire a new generation of athletes” in the Gulf kingdom, Nadal, 37, has assumed the post.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion from Spain stated that “in Saudi Arabia there is real potential” and that he wished to support the sport’s future growth worldwide.
As part of the collaboration, Rafael Nadal—who was injured and skipped the Australian Open—will also launch an academy in Riyadh.
Amnesty International, a human rights advocacy group, is hoping that the tennis player will utilize his new role to refute allegations regarding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
“The latest development in Saudi Arabia’s ongoing sports-shaming campaign is Rafael Nadal’s new position,” stated Peter Frankental, director of economic affairs at Amnesty International UK.
“The Saudi authorities have spent billions trying to reinvent the nation as a sporting superpower and divert attention from a terrible human rights record, focusing on tennis, football, golf, and boxing among other sports.
“As with other sporting stars taking well-paid jobs in Saudi Arabia, we would urge Nadal to speak out about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, offering an important message of solidarity with the country’s jailed human rights defenders.”