Real Madrid set to appoint tennis legend Nadal to board

Real Madrid announced on Wednesday that they plan to appoint retired tennis player Rafael Nadal to their board of directors. The 40-year-old, who won 22 Grand Slam titles and two Olympic gold medals before retiring in 2024, has been an honorary club member since 2011. According to Yahoo Sports, Nadal is a boyhood fan who holds membership number 67,778.

The club stated that Nadal is one of the most admired Spanish athletes in the world and expressed pride that a figure of his stature will contribute to the present and future of the club. In a response on X, Nadal said he accepted the proposal with excitement and a desire to learn. While the move has been announced, Yahoo Sports noted it is currently unclear what specific responsibilities he would hold.

The appointment is expected to be ratified by the club's members, or socios, at a meeting later this month. New Straits Times reports that this ratification is expected to take place at the club's general assembly on November 21.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Yahoo Sports, New Straits Times, Winnipeg Free Press — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.