ATP Tour

Nadal delights fans in Jeddah

Fan Zone at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF had extra buzz Friday night when 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal made a special appearance.

Still sporting a cast on his right hand and wrist after recent surgery - but no longer with his arm in a sling - Nadal spent an extended period in pleasantly cool evening conditions posing for photos with delighted Saudi fans.

Nadal later watched the all-Spanish clash between Rafael Jodar and Martin Landaluce, who trains at Nadal's academy in Mallorca. 

Nadal, who has served as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation since the start of 2024, will remain in Jeddah through Sunday's final of the 20-and-under showpiece at King Abdullah Sports City.

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings promotes tennis throughout the Kingdom. His involvement includes encouraging grassroots participation, supporting training programs, and helping plan the future of the sport.

"We love this event, we have come before and it is great to see the young players," said fan Jayshree Babu, who is a 'major' Roger Federer fan. "I think tennis is really picking up as a sport in Saudi and it is good to see the attraction it is gaining. With people like Nadal coming, it only adds to the excitement and growth."

^{Fans Suresh Babu, Bharadhwaj Babu, Jayshree Babu, Amit Jain and Lakshmi Babu. Photo credit: ATP Tour}

^{Nadal fans in Jeddah. Photo credit: ATP Tour}

^{Fans Waleed Habosh, Qussai Kreisler and Bilal Taj. Photo credit: ATP Tour}