Gilles Moretton, CEO of the French Tennis Federation, and Amelie Mauresmo, director of the Roland Garros, traveled to Spain to present to Rafael Nadal a replica of the sculpture in his honor which was unveiled at the Roland Garros in May 2021.
Amelie Mauresmo and Gilles Moreton also had the opportunity to visit the facilities of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar and closely observe the daily work of the children following their tennis and academic studies at the high-performance center.
They also tasted a meal at the Roland Garros restaurant, a restaurant inside the academy whose ambiance is inspired by the French Grand Slam and whose decoration includes photos of some of the biggest names in the history of the tournament, such as Steffi Graf, Chris Evert , Björn Borg and Rafa Nadal himself.
From today, every tennis fan can enjoy this work of art by visiting the Manacor museum. Rafa Nadal explained: “The Roland Garros is the most important place of my career and I’m very happy to have that statue there. To be able to have this replica here, in my hometown, at the Museum and in a place so close to me, my family and my team makes it even more special.
I’m so grateful to everyone who made it possible and now it’s here, along with my trophies, for everyone to come and see.”
Amelie Mauresmo and Gilles Moretton’s words
Amelie Mauresmo, CEO of the Parisian Grand Slam, added: “The values and spirit of the Rafa Nadal Academy are exactly who Rafa is as a person: humble, educated and hard worker.
These are among the values that make him who he is as a player and as a human being. The players we have seen in the academy are in very good hands and on a personal level I am very happy to have had the opportunity to share this special moment with Rafa himself.” Gilles Moretton told: “For many years Roland Garros and Rafa Nadal have lived a privileged and special relationship and here at the Academy we have found what he is, with his values.
We have always had very constructive and friendly discussions with Rafa to help grow the tennis, and it is an honor to have him as an ambassador of the game. Rafa Nadal and Roland Garros have become something inseparable.”
