Rafael Nadal is putting the final touches on a Hall of Fame tennis career. But off the court, the Spanish star is taking a swing at another sports venture: electric boat racing. The 22-time Grand Slam winner is the newest team owner in E1’s electric racing league, which is debuting its new season this spring.
Nadal, 36, is investing in the E1 series and leveraging his platform to fight the loss of marine ecosystems and bring more attention to environmental restoration. He will be supporting E1’s Blue Action Progamme, designed to protect and restore marine environments near cities that will be involved in the championship.
The leaguewide initiative is spearheaded by marine ecologist Carlos Duarte, who also serves as E1’s chief scientist. Nadal and Duarte, who both have ties to Nadal’s native island of Mallorca, met in September to discuss climate change and other topics. E1, which is sanctioned by Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), will support the Rafa Nadal Academy’s sustainability initiatives as part of the deal.
While it’s unclear how much Nadal has invested, he becomes the highest profile sports star to own a racing outfit that will compete against other E1 teams in the upcoming championship. The list includes Red Bull Racing and Formula One driver Sergio Perez, who will be representing his native Mexico.
E1 aims to be a sports league with a social values component, using clean technologies that protect coastal areas.
Nadal, an avid yachter and one of the highest paid athletes in the world, has made a fortune on the court, with roughly $500 million in career earnings since he turned pro in 2001. The king of clay, who is a partner at investment firm Mabel Capital, previously teamed with soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and singer Enrique Iglesias to invest in Spanish restaurant chain, Tatel. He’s also tied to a number of real estate and tech-related investments.
With world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing with a leg injury, the No. 2-ranked Nadal is the top-seeded player entering the 2023 Australian Open, which begins next Monday. The tournament’s defending champion will look to extend his record number of Grand Slam titles to 23.