Rafael Nadal Receives Historic Marquis Honor from Spain’s King Felipe VI

Rafael Nadal receives a noble title from the King of Spain for his exemplary values which inspire others in society

Rafael Nadal Receives Historic Marquis Honor from Spain’s King Felipe VI

Rafael Nadal and King Felipe VI (via Daily Jang)

Spain’s King Felipe VI bestowed the first noble titles of his reign on Thursday (June 19) and his announcement included the naming of Rafael Nadal as Marquess of Llevant de Mallorca. The Spaniard is regarded as the greatest player to come from his country, having won 22 Grand Slam titles in his career.

This is not the first time that Nadal has been awarded a noble title. In 2008, he was granted the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports, when he was 22 years of age. He received it from the hands of Prince Felipe, who was crowned King of Spain in 2014. In September 2022, King Felipe VI awarded Nadal with the Camino Real Award of the Instituto Franklin-UAH, which is granted by the University of Alcala de Henares.

However, on this occasion, the king also granted the 39-year-old title of Marquess of Llevant de Mallorca, which is hereditary. Besides Nadal, swimmer Teresa Perales and singer Luz Casal were also honored with the Spanish nobility which is part of celebrations marking the monarch’s 10th anniversary on the throne.

During the ceremony, the King’s house declared that Nadal is a source of pride for Spain and a permanent example of their values:

They are exponents of excellence, whether in service of the Crown or in the field of philosophy, culture, science, arts, or sport. They are a source of pride for Spain and a permanent example of the values that should inspire our society.

Nadal won 92 tour-level titles, including 22 Grand Slam and 14 Roland Garros titles. He’s regarded as the greatest player to ever grace the clay-court having won over 60 titles on the surface. Also, the Spaniard managed to transcend tennis through his values, ethics, and legacy he built during his time on the court.

After over two decades of playing professional tennis, Nadal decided to bring an end to his career at the Davis Cup Finals in November 2024. His final match ended in a loss to Dutch star Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup, which led to Spain crashing out of the tournament.

French legend reveals which player among the Big 3 fans loved to watch

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic were part of an astonishing era in which they dominated the men’s circuit and produced an unprecedented consistent performance on the court. Known as the Big 3, they won a staggering combined 66 Grand Slam singles titles, with Djokovic leading the way with 24 Slams.

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal (Image via X/Danny)

Nadal won 22 major titles, including 14 Roland Garros, while Federer, who ended his career in 20222 won 20 Grand Slams. However, among the three tennis legends, Richard Gasquet picked Federer as the player fans always want to watch. He revealed this while speaking on the Super Moscato Show after he was asked about the Big 3:

All three are extraordinary, but Federer is the one we most want to watch play. Even today, when you see videos of all three, on the technical side, the equal, it’s him. It’s tennis in its purest form. If there’s a Federer on the tour right now? Maybe Alcaraz a little bit, even if he doesn’t have the one-handed backhand that Federer had, that kind of thing, but he’s still an incredible player too.

Gasquet retired at the French Open last month after losing to runner-up Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the second round. The French legend knows the Big 3 having faced each of them on the court. He had a 1-13 head-to-head record against Djokovic and a 2-19 record against Federer, but he never beat Nadal across their 18 career meetings on tour.

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