The Spanish legend, Rafael Nadal, has shared his heartwarming thoughts on his recent family trip to Japan, along with his sister and parents. The tennis icon, who was awarded the prestigious honorary doctorate from the University of Salamanca last month, had also enjoyed visiting the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Hong Kong.
Rafael Nadal, Family, Soaks In the Vibes of the Land of the Rising Sun
Rafael Nadal is widely considered one of the greatest men’s tennis players in the history of the sport and shared an iconic rivalry with the Swiss legend, Roger Federer. He officially hung up his racket in Nov. 2024, leaving an unmatched legacy behind with 92 ATP Tour singles titles, with 22 major titles, of which 14 were French Open titles.
Through his recent Instagram post, the Manacor, Mallorca, native shared adorable glimpses of his family’s trip to Japan. In the first picture, Nadal was with his sister, María Isabel Nadal; mother, Ana María Parera; and father, Sebastián Nadal. The family was wearing the traditional kimono dress secured by a sash called an obi.
In another picture, Nadal’s wife and kids were also featured, along with the entire family, in front of a traditional Japanese shrine. Other glimpses highlighted them sitting around lush foliage, and in another, Nadal was standing in a kimono dress with his wife, Maria Francisca Perello. He also shared a scenic picture of a bamboo forest, with tall bamboo stalks reaching above.
Through his Instagram post, Nadal shared his heartfelt thoughts on his trip to Japan, further thanking them for the cordial welcome and how much he admired learning about their culture and traditions, adding, “Had a great time in Japan 🇯🇵 with my family!
Loved exploring, learning about the culture, traditions and visiting some amazing places.
Thank you for all the kindness and warm welcome! 🤗”
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The winner of two Olympic gold medals also recently visited the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Hong Kong, reflecting his appreciation for the teamwork and its alignment with the vision of his academy in his hometown. He added, ” I really enjoyed visiting the @rafanadaltenniscentre in Hong Kong! Congrats to the whole team for the amazing work you’re doing both on and off the court with kids and adults. 👏🏻”
While continuing, he wrote, “It’s great to see that, even being so far away, the @rafanadalacademy methodology makes it feel like we’re somehow in Manacor.”
Nadal established his tennis training center in 2016 in his hometown of Manacor. His uncle and longtime coach, Toni Nadal, is the ambassador, and his sister is the Deputy General Manager of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar. Furthermore, his centers are established worldwide, including in Kuwait, Greece, Marbella, Mexico, Egypt, and others.
