Rafael Nadal got married to Xisca Perello over the weekend. The two newlyweds had been dating since 2005. The wedding was attended by around three hundred and fifty guests, among them pop star Enrique Iglesias and the former King of Spain. For many years, Rafa and Xisca have been collaborating on the Rafa Nadal foundation to assist people in different countries to live better lives.
Started in 2008
Nadal started his foundation in 2008. The aim of the foundation is to help disadvantaged children and young people get opportunities to fulfill their potential. The foundation’s focus is to use sports and education to empower young people. By promoting sports and education, the foundation hopes to fight inequality, promote the integration of the youth in society, and enable the development of the society. Xisca serves as a project director on the foundation. She has a business degree and previously worked in the insurance industry.
Projects in India and Spain
The Rafa Nadal foundation carries out some projects in Spain and India. In Spain, the foundation has collaborated with several companies to provide opportunities for young people. The Study and Play initiative by the foundation offers an opportunity for Spanish children to study and play their favorite sports. The young boys and girls can secure scholarships to American universities through the program.
The foundation also has a More than Tennis charity initiative that focuses on young people with intellectual disabilities. The program helps young people with intellectual disabilities improve their psychomotor skills through sports. They are also assisted to be comfortable in society. Nadal also has established a center in his home town of Manacor to help young disadvantaged kids. The center was opened in 2014 and assists around 250 kids aged 6-17 years old.
In India, the Spaniard foundation opened the Nadal Education Tennis School (NETS). The school was launched in 2010 in collaboration with the Vincente Ferrer Foundation. The center assists young children from the poorest neighborhoods in India. The children get tennis training and practice at the center. The center also offers academic assistance to the children as well as access to computers to improve their literacy skills. Free nutritional supplements and health checkups are also provided. In addition to the foundation, Nadal also launched a tennis academy in Mallorca in 2016. The academy offers world-class training facilities to future tennis players. Roger Federer has praised the world No.2 for his charity efforts and even expressed interest in working with the Spaniard at the academy after they retire.
Rafael Nadal’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.2, Rafael played his last match on the 8th of September when he defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-4 in the final in U.S. Open to win his 84th career title.
This year Rafael has a 47-6 win-loss record. Nadal has won 4 titles in 2019 in Rome, at the French Open, in Montreal and at the U.S. Open. Nadal was the finalist at the Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal |
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