Reuters/Enrique Calvo
Rafael Nadal was skewered this week for inking an ambassadorship deal with Saudi Arabia’s tennis federation, with fans, journalists, and a human right’s activist accusing the Spanish icon of contributing to “relentless sportswashing.”
Nadal, 37, announced Monday that he’ll now promote Saudi Arabia via social media and visits to the kingdom, which plans to open a “Rafa Nadal Academy” for aspiring tennis players.
It’s unclear how much Nadal, who has raked in $135 million in prize money and tens of millions more in endorsements throughout his career, is being paid to promote Saudi Arabia, or for how long the partnership is to last.