Nadal awarded Camino Real by King Felipe VI in Madrid

Nadal is the fifth recipient of The Camino Real award, which aims to acknowledge the work of exemplary Spaniards

Rafael Nadal received the Camino Real award from King Felipe Image Credit: AI/ Reuters/ Panoramic

September 21, 2022

Rafael Nadal was bestowed with another top honour on Tuesday as he was presented with the ‘Camino Real‘ award by Spain’s King Felipe VI in Madrid.

Nadal is the fifth recipient of the award at Alcala de Henares University in Madrid. The Camino Real award aims to acknowledge the work of exemplary Spaniards in the United States.

As per the Instituto Franklin, the Award reflects the spirit of recognizing a universal Spaniard who has built bridges of understanding between Spain and the United States of America.

The Spaniard, who will play the Laver Cup alongside Roger Federer this week in London, posted a heartful message on social media upon receiving the award.

Today, King Felipe VI bestowed @RafaelNadal with the @IB_Franklin Camino Real Award.

The Award recognizes Nadal for his exemplary career and values, his work on and off the court, and for being a tireless and positive ambassador of Spain in the U.S.

¡Enhorabuena, Rafa! pic.twitter.com/lvE08ms3iX
— Embassy of Spain USA (@SpainInTheUSA) September 20, 2022

“Thank you, your Majesty, for your presence and my appreciation to the President and members of the Advisory Council, Director and members of the Franklin High School Academic Council, selection committee, which has decided to award me the award and I hope to be or continue to be a benchmark for Spanish values by remaining always faithful to my Balearic and Majorcan origin,” Nadal wrote on his post. “For me it is an honor and an immense joy to receive the award “Camino Real” which has a strong historical connotation and is a recognition of my work in the world of tennis alongside my passion for sport carrying both, work and the passion, beyond our borders.”

‘I hope that this event does not imply that my career is over,’ said tennis great Rafael Nadal, after receiving the ‘Camino Real’ prize, an award that recognizes exemplary Spaniards, from Spain’s King Felipe pic.twitter.com/cq5hIo7Yrn
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 21, 2022

Nadal lost in the fourth round of the recent US Open, which was won by his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, and is now ranked No 3 in the world. It remains to be seen if he will play the indoor tournaments this year as he is due to become a father for the first time in October.