Rafael Nadal adorns cover of Conde Nast Traveler summer issue, dazzles in stunning locations across Mallorca
Tennis icon Rafael Nadal dazzled in a recent photoshoot shot across different iconic landscapes of Mallorca, the Spaniard's hometown.
The 36-year-old is currently on a long break from tennis since his shock second-round defeat at the 2023 Australian Open. Since then, the southpaw has been sidelined due to his foot injury, and earlier this month he announced his withdrawal from the ongoing French Open, his fortress.
As revealed on social media, Nadal is on the cover of the Spanish edition of the Conde Nast Traveler's summer issue. For the same, the former World No. 1 found himself across different locations in Mallorca, from water bodies to rocky mountains, the tennis legend captivated his fans with some stunning photos.
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Rafa y el mar traveler.es/articulos/rafa… via @CNTravelerSpain https://t.co/zxPfeq34gt
In his conversation with Conde Nast Traveler magazine, the Mallorcan spoke about the difficulties of traveling as a famous person.
"It is complicated, my life involves many hours of training and, in addition, when you are a known person it is not always easy to do what you want whenever you want," Nadal said.
Adding onto that, the veteran recalled an incident where he could not visit the Vatican because of his immense fame.
"I remember that once I was in Rome, I wanted to visit the Vatican and I couldn't get in. You can imagine that I feel like living this kind of thing like anyone else ... but I can't always," the Spaniard said.
"I have spent much of my life traveling and living in hotels, the time has come to reflect everything learned" - Rafael Nadal on his new business venture, Zel Hotels
Rafael Nadal's Zel Hotels, in partnership with Melia Hotels International, will be opening their doors on July 1st, in Mallorca. Following this, the new hotel chain will expand its business to Madrid, Paris, and London, among other locations.
Talking to Conde Nast Traveler during the photo shoot, the Spaniard reflected on what made him launch his own hotel chain, starting in Mallorca. Elaborating further, the 22-time Grand Slam winner said that he wanted to bring out his learnings from traveling across the world for all these years.
"We want to carry the Mediterranean essence around the world and that is why it is something that excites me doubly. On the one hand, as everyone knows, hospitality in Mallorca has always had a priority place in the growth of our economy. And for another I have spent much of my life traveling and living in hotels. Now the time has come to reflect everything learned," Nadal said.
The 14-time French Open winner also hinted at some of the features Zel would provide its visitors by talking about his own preferences regarding hotels.
"I like hotels to make me feel comfortable, neither over-attended nor neglected, breathe a family atmosphere. I recognize that when I like a hotel I usually repeat, but it doesn't necessarily have to do with it being super luxurious," Nadal added.