Tennis icon Rafael Nadal to join Real Madrid board of directors in shock move

King of Clay and tennis great Rafael Nadal will join the board of directors of Real Madrid Football Club in a shock move. Nadal, who won 22 Grand Slam titles, two Olympic gold medals and helped Spain claim five Davis Cup crowns before retiring in 2024, is set to pursue a leadership role in a sport beyond tennis. Real Madrid board members will be asked to approve Nadal’s appointment at a meeting later this month.

In a public statement, Real Madrid labelled Nadal as "one of the greatest legends in the history of sport and one of the most admired and recognised Spanish athletes in the world".

"It is a great source of pride that a figure of his sporting and human stature, a benchmark of Spanish and world sport, will become part of our board of directors and contribute, from this position of responsibility, to the present and future of our club," Real added.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Nadal—a lifelong Real Madrid fan who holds member number 67,778—shared a photo of himself in a club kit in response to the news.

"I want to thank president Florentino Perez and the board for proposing that I join the board of directors of Real Madrid," Nadal said in his post on X. “I have accepted this proposal with great excitement, a desire to learn, and a willingness to contribute everything I can."

However, it remains unclear what responsibilities Nadal would hold on the club's board.

Meanwhile, Perez was re-elected to serve a new four-year term as Real president in June, having held the office since 2009. Soon after, he reappointed 'The Special One’ Jose Mourinho to a second spell as head coach, hoping to improve the club's fortunes after they went a second season without a trophy in La Liga, the Champions League or the Copa del Rey.

Real Madrid are currently third in the league after 11 games - three points behind defending champions Barcelona.