Real Madrid to appoint tennis legend Rafa Nadal to board

Real Madrid are set to appoint tennis great Rafael Nadal to their Board of Directors after the 22-time Grand Slam champion accepted an invitation from club president Florentino Perez to join its leadership.

The Spanish club announced on Wednesday that Nadal’s appointment would be presented to representative members for ratification at an Extraordinary General Assembly scheduled for Saturday, November 21.

According to Marca, the proposal was unanimously approved by the club’s Board of Directors and will be submitted in line with Article 46 of Real Madrid’s statutes.

Nadal, 40, confirmed his acceptance in a message on X, thanking Perez and the board for the invitation and expressing his enthusiasm about taking up the new responsibility.

“I want to thank President Florentino Perez and the Board for inviting me to become a member of Real Madrid’s Board of Directors,” he wrote.

“I have accepted this proposal with great enthusiasm, eager to learn and to contribute in any way I can.”

Real Madrid also praised the former world number one, describing him as a figure of immense sporting and human stature and a benchmark in Spanish and world sport.

The club said it was a source of pride to have Nadal join its board and contribute to its present and future.

The appointment will be considered at the Extraordinary General Assembly at the basketball pavilion of Ciudad Real Madrid, where the club’s Ordinary and Extraordinary General Assemblies will hold both in-person and online sessions.

Nadal has maintained a close relationship with Real Madrid for years and has been an honorary club member since 2011.

His appointment is also likely to renew speculation about a possible future role as club president, although he has not announced any such ambition as part of the latest development.

In 2023, the former tennis star admitted that becoming Real Madrid president was an appealing idea but said he would first have to assess whether he was capable of taking on the responsibility.

He also distanced himself from reports that he would contest the club’s presidential election earlier this year, which Perez won in June.

Nadal retired from professional tennis in 2024 after a remarkable career that included 22 Grand Slam singles titles, among them a record 14 French Open crowns.