It wasn’t enough for Rafael Nadal to be the king of France, the king of clay, the king of tennis: now he is also a marquis.
The decision was not his, but that of King Felipe VI of Spain, who on Thursday granted him the marquisate of Llevant de Mallorca, which extends to his wife and children and is hereditary.
Nadal, 39, who was born in Mallorca, where he has always lived, received the marquisate along with five other figures from Spanish life, in the last of Felipe VI’s decisions in celebration of his tenth anniversary as king.
‘Their respective careers are examples of excellence, whether in the service of the Crown or in the fields of thought, culture, science, the arts and sport,’ said the Spanish Royal Household.
The noble title does not confer any privileges on Nadal, but it is a sign of what he represents for the Spanish people, and especially for King Felipe, who as a former Olympic athlete (in sailing) has special admiration for the achievements of the 14-time Roland Garros champion.
Nadal can now counterbalance his title of marquis with that of ‘Sir’ held by his friend and former rival Andy Murray.
The Briton was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II after a 2016 in which he won Wimbledon for the second time and Olympic gold. The ceremony was held in 2019 at Buckingham Palace.
While Juan Carlos I, his father and former king, granted 55 marquisates in almost four decades of reign, these six honours are the first to be awarded by Felipe VI since he became king and head of state of Spain on 19 June 2014.
The recognition comes to Nadal a month after he was honoured at Roland Garros and a few weeks before becoming a father for the second time.
