Spanish football club Real Madrid has appointed 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal to its board of directors. The club announced the executive appointment on Wednesday, expressing pride in welcoming the longtime fan to its leadership team.
New Leadership Role
Following the announcement, Nadal posted a photo of himself as a child wearing a Real Madrid kit on his X account. The 40-year-old tennis icon publicly acknowledged the appointment and thanked the club’s leadership for the opportunity.
“I want to thank president Florentino Perez and the board who proposed me to be part of the board of directors at Real Madrid,” Nadal wrote. “I accepted this proposal with great excitement, a desire to learn and contribute everything I can.”
Nadal retired from professional tennis in 2024 and has long held honorary member status at Real Madrid. Earlier in 2026, he had responded to social media rumors linking him to a prospective bid for the club’s presidency, calling those reports “untrue.”
Alignment of Values
Real Madrid paid tribute to Nadal following the announcement, stating that his career and personal values closely mirror the identity of the club. A club spokesperson described the former world number one as one of the greatest legends in sports history and a benchmark for Spanish and global athletics.
The spokesperson noted that Nadal’s work ethic, humility, competitive drive, respect for opponents, and commitment to solidarity make him an exemplary figure on and off the court, adding that the club takes great pride in having him contribute to its current and future direction from his position on the board of directors.
