Spain's king makes Rafa Nadal a marquis
MADRID, June 19 (Reuters) - Spain's King Felipe VI on Thursday granted tennis great Rafa Nadal the noble title of marquis, recognising his contribution to the nation through sporting prowess, according to a royal household statement.
Nadal, a 22-times Grand Slam champion who retired last year, was among six individuals honoured as part of celebrations marking the monarch's 10th anniversary on the throne.
Other given such titles included pop-rock singer Luz Casal and Paralympic swimmer Teresa Perales.
"They are a source of pride for Spain and a permanent reference point for values that should inspire our society," the palace said.
Former world number one Nadal, 39, will hold the title Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca, the island where he was born and lives. The title can be inherited by his descendants.
Nadal, who won the French Open a record 14 times, was commemorated last month at Roland Garros with a permanent footprint on the Centre Court.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Kylian Mbappe leaves hospital after missing Real Madrid's first Club World Cup match with acute gastroenteritis
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has left hospital after missing his side's first game at the newly-expanded Club World Cup after suffering from gastroenteritis. Mbappe, 26, was a surprise omission from the first starting line-up to be named by new manager Xabi Alonso against Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal on Wednesday. The Frenchman was sorely missed by his team-mates as they drew 1-1 after Federico Valverde missed a golden chance to win the encounter in stoppage time when his penalty was saved. Following the match, Madrid released a statement on Thursday in which they clarified why Mbappe was absent. The club said that he had been taken to hospital on the day of their match against Al-Hilal to undergo tests, adding that he had made a return to the team's camp. On Friday, Real also confirmed that Mbappe was in the team hotel and undertaking aerobic work as he recovered from illness. Manager Xabi Alonso is unsure if he will be fit enough to feature in his side's next game When prompted to give an update on Mbappe's health on Tuesday, Alonso said: 'Kylian was feeling a bit better in the morning, but not good enough because it's too hot. 'We're going to wait for him until the last moment, we'll decide tomorrow.' After the draw against Al-Hilal, the Spaniard added: 'I don't know if Mbappe will be back for the next game. 'We'll see. He wasn't doing well in the last two days. He's sick.' In Mbappe's place, Alonso opted to start 21-year-old striker Gonzalo Garcia who scored 25 goals in 36 matches for Real Madrid Castilla last season. He notched the opener against Al-Hilal on Wednesday before former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves ensured the spoils were shared.
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
World No.1 tennis star Jannik Sinner releases shock duet with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli less than two weeks after all-time classic French Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz
World number one tennis star Jannik Sinner has shown his talents go far beyond the court by releasing a shock duet with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The duo released Polvere e Gloria, meaning Dust And Glory, on Friday, less than two weeks after the 23-year-old took part in an all-time classic French Open final defeat against Carlos Alcaraz. The song has English and Italian lyrics and features the three-time grand slam champion repeating parts of his winning and losing speeches. Its accompanying video includes scenes of the pair recording at Bocelli's studio in Tuscany and images from their youths. Sinner said: 'I am very happy and honoured to be part of this project with Andrea, who for 30 years has been a unique and extraordinary voice, a flag for our country in the rest of the world. 'I could never have imagined hearing my voice in one of his songs. It's extremely moving.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrea Bocelli (@andreabocelliofficial) The duet is being released less than two weeks after he lost the French Open final to Alcaraz Sinner is the first Italian to top either the men's or women's singles world rankings in tennis. Bocelli began his career in 1994 and has performed at major events across the world including the Olympic Games and the World Cup. It is his latest foray into sport after he recorded a goodbye message for Gary Lineker's final Match of the Day appearance last month. He also famously performed while stood next to Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri as the Foxes celebrated their stunning title win in 2016. Sinner, who has won two Australian Open titles and the US Open once, has never reached the Wimbledon final. His preparations for the tournament, which starts on June 30, took a blow as he lost to world No. 45 Alexander Bublik in the Halle Open second round. The defending champion lost 3-6 6-3 6-4 to the Kazakh to spell his worst defeat by ranking in almost two years. The defeat ended Sinner's 66 game winning run against opponents below the top 20 and was the first time the Italian has lost to anyone apart from Alcaraz in 10 months.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Jack Draper seals huge Wimbledon boost after Queen's quarter-final victory
On one level, it is mission accomplished for Jack Draper at Queen's Club this week. Of course, there is still at tournament to win, a prestigious tournament at that, especially for a British player. Rather tantalisingly, Draper remains on an collision course with world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the final on Sunday. But around these parts, there is always one eye firmly set on the big grass court dance, five miles south, in ten days' time. The surprise first-round exit of current world No 4 Taylor Fritz this week and the non-activity of No 5 Novak Djokovic, handed No 6 Draper a golden opportunity to seal a top-four seeding for Wimbledon. With that comes an easier quarter-final at SW19 – by ranking, avoiding the likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner until the semis – should he get there. And with a patchy if not convincing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 quarter-final victory against Brandon Nakashima on Friday, Draper has secured the points he needs to return to the world No 4 spot on Monday. The boy from Putney will be the fourth seed at the All England Club; quite the rise from No 28 last year. Tennis players tend not to worry too much about the potential pathways and ramifications. Much like the age-old footballer saying, it's simply 'focus on the next game.' And given Draper has never gone beyond the second round at his home Slam, that will remain the case come the first week of the Wimbledon fortnight. But it's unquestionably an advantage if, like us in the media and fans of the sport, you like to glance a little further forward. Of immediate concern, though, will be the big-serving game of Jiri Lehecka – who defeated British No 2 Jacob Fearnley earlier in the day – in the HSBC Championships semi-finals on Saturday. The second seed this week at Queen's, Draper is now just a match away from setting up an intriguing Sunday showpiece against Alcaraz, who he beat here last year. On a stifling but overcast afternoon in west London, Draper came out all guns blazing against fellow 23-year-old Nakashima, ranked 32 in the world, who he beat on route to his first tour title on the grass of Stuttgart last year. The Brit broke in the third game, courtesy of a shanked Nakashima forehand into the crowd, and staved off six break back opportunities for the American in a tight first-set, with Draper's form ebbing and flowing sporadically. A key trait of any top player, however, is to convert when playing under-par and Draper, despite a curious overuse of the drop-shot against the speedy Nakashima, sealed the opener in overcast conditions with an ace. The second set was tighter still. The cool-headed, unflappable Nakashima had more opportunities against serve, before Draper found his mark with aplomb under pressure. Yet just a game away from a tiebreak, the Brit's forehand went mysteriously astray and Nakashima, to the sound of groans on the Andy Murray Arena, claimed the second as Draper went long on the backhand wing. Nakashima's notable robustness in the rallies – no point was given up cheaply – seemed to be sapping the life out of Draper, two days on from his final-set tie-break win against Alexei Popyrin. But at 3-3, suddenly, a second wind. Draper's returns had a smidge more oomph, his body language picked up and Nakashima could not reacclimatise quick enough. Draper's first break point chance flew agonisingly wide by a few millimetres but his second was clinched brilliantly, via a trademark forehand thump down the line. Serving for the match, Draper saved two break points – one with a forehand plum on the line – and roared to the crowd for encouragement, and eventually sealed a hard-fought victory with a volley at the net. The relief on his face was clear as day. It is a testament to Draper's newfound equanimity that his game – and perhaps more pertinently, his mind – hit the mark needed once more at the end of the match. It is the sort of asset which is swinging sets, and matches, in his favour. And it very much makes Draper, the fourth-best player in the world, a bona fide threat on the grass.
