“It is important that young people are aware of the wonderful history we have,” said the tennis player after receiving the award from the King.
Rafael Nadal He has changed the rackets and sportswear for the suit and the university. The owner of 22 Grand Slams has received the Camino Real prize awarded by the University of Alcal de Henares to outstanding Spaniards. Half an hour after 12 in the morning the Mallorcan greeted Philip VI in the courtyard of the university. Afterwards, they entered the Paraninfo chatting, where various authorities have glossed over the virtues of the tennis player. The most important, those of the King, who has highlighted Nadal as someone who “contributes to promoting and disseminating the best image of Spain”.
The King has said that he is “a stellar athlete, who remains humble and simple but with the ambition to continue working to improve”. He has also praised his pain management: “We know that he soon learned to handle physical suffering and not lose his temper and concentration as a result.” Felipe VI was of the opinion that achieving the successes of Rafa Nadal in his career “is such a requirement that it is easy for us not to be aware of what that entails.”
From the Royal House they have always supported Rafa Nadal’s career with their presence. His relationship with Felipe VI and with the previous King is so close that Don Juan Carlos attended his wedding as a guest. In addition, Don Felipe was in the last Roland Garros final, where he saw Rafa win again, who overcame all his pain in an epic victory. “It is truly wonderful to see him compete and enjoy it,” the King said of the day.
“My career hasn’t finished, far from it”
This award honors those who bear the name of Spain throughout the world. For this reason, Don Felipe recalled that Nadal “has always represented Spain with great pride”, in addition to the fact that “his spirit of victory and competition has mobilized many people”.
Rafa Nadal was very happy to receive this award, a sculpture “that pays homage to the Royal Roads that ran through North America and that linked the territories of the New World”, said the King.
The tennis player has recognized that “It is important that young people are aware of the wonder of history that we have”. Although he has always lived in Mallorca, he spends four months a year away from home, which has helped him confirm that “the Spanish footprint exists” wherever he goes. Nadal has been especially grateful for the moment in which the award arrives: “It’s been a complicated year beyond injuries, but I hope they don’t think that my career has ended, far from it.”
Source: www.elmundo.es
