Rafael Nadal fans start petition to name Mallorca airport after 21-time Major winner
Rafael Nadal's achievements have led to him being eulogized not just in the history books, but in global culture as well.
Nadal finally broke the men's record for most Grand Slam titles, coming back from two sets to beat World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final. With his victory, the Spaniard also became only the second male player in the Open Era to win every Grand Slam title twice.
In that context, it makes a lot of sense for his home country to take pride in his achievement. According to local reports, a Change.org petition to rename the Palma de Mallorca Airport in Spain to the "Rafael Nadal Airport" has been started by the Spaniard's legion of local fans.
It should be noted that the petition, which is addressed to the Spanish government, has received nearly 2,500 signatures at the moment. Fans showered praise for Nadal, who is arguably the greatest athlete to come from Spain.
"Rafa is the best tennis player in history and the greatest ambassador of Mallorca. He is the one who most deserves that the Palma de Mallorca airport bears his name."
It should also be noted that Francina Armengol, the President of the Balearic Islands in Spain, is positive about the change in the title of the international airport.
"Rafa is a great international ambassador of our Islands, that is beyond doubt and more so in recent days," she said.
Rafael Nadal has also been memorialized with a statue an asteroid
This is not the first instance he has been immortalized by an organization, be it political or research-related. It was in 2008 when an asteroid was named after the 21-time Major winner by the International Astronomical Unit.
The asteroid was discovered by an observatory in Mallorca, which was one of the reasons why it was named after him. The move came after the Matador defeated his arch-rival Roger Federer in a five-set thriller at Wimbledon 2008 final - a match that has since attained iconic status.
It should also be noted that the French Tennis Federation (FFT) honored Nadal by unveiling a bronze statue at last year's Roland Garros to commemorate his 13 triumphs in Paris. The statue, which is the same color as the Spaniard's favorite terre-battue, was erected in front of Gate 1 of Stade Roland-Garros.