SAN FRANCISCO, December 04, (THEWILL) – World No. 2 tennis player, Rafael Nadal, one of the most decorated Spanish athletes of all time, on Thursday, December 3, received another honour in the long list of honours that bears his name.
The Majorcan tennis star, who was on a private break in the Bahamas, jetted back to Madrid with his wife, Mery Perelló and four other friends, including his sister. There, the imperial Nadal was presented with the decoration of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Second of May.
The honour is reserved for prodigious individuals or institutions who have displayed exceptional desire to help their country in different areas. And those who have represented the nation proudly and with distinction.
The honour was a tribute to his entire sports career as he has become one of the best players in the history of tennis and the best individual athlete in Spanish history. In October, he was crowned champion at Roland Garros for an unprecedented thirteenth time and moved level with the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer, on 20 Grand Slam titles.
The grateful 34-year-old, aware of the circumstances of the times, dedicated the honour to all the victims of the pandemic and their families, as well as to health workers and state security forces.
“I would like to send a message of encouragement to families who have lost a loved one. Also to all health personnel and, together with them, to the State security forces.”
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid, paid flowery tribute to the tennis superstar, whose trajectory is loaded with “values and effort” that “we all need to remember so much now in this difficult situation” of pandemic.
In 2008, Rafa received the International Award of the Community of Madrid for his relevance in sport and his merits, not only in his profession but on the human side. That same year, he was also honoured with the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
