Tennis legend Rafael Nadal will become a new team owner in the UIM E1 World Championship, the world’s first all-electric raceboat championship.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will enter his own team for the inaugural season, which is set to get underway later this year.
Alongside his success on the tennis court, Nadal – a Mallorquin islander – is passionate about the ocean and is hugely supportive of E1’s mission to accelerate clean mobility and restore marine ecosystems.
Supporting the Blue Action Programme
Nadal will also be supporting E1’s Blue Action Programme, which has been designed to create a positive impact on local communities through projects aimed at restoring marine ecosystems along city waterfronts.
The Blue Action Programme will be led by Professor Carlos Duarte, a fellow Mallorquin islander to Nadal and Chief Scientist at E1.
Duarte is a world-leading marine ecologist, who will play an instrumental role in developing E1’s overall sustainability strategy, as E1-013 Classification: Public well as supporting the Rafa Nadal Academy’s sustainability initiatives and reinforcing its commitment with sustainable sport.
Nadal’s new racing outfit will compete against other teams who have already signed up to participate in the championship, including the Venice Racing Team. Nadal joins a growing list of sports personalities to own an E1 team, including current Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez’s team affiliated with his native Mexico.
The contribution of the Rafa Nadal Academy
E1’s Co-Founder & Chairman Alejandro Agag visited Nadal at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, where he was taken on a tour around the high-performance tennis centre and was impressed by the world-class facilities and how technology is integrated at the academy.
The partnership with Nadal and E1 is expected to extend beyond racing to include the launch of an international thought leadership event, focused on the theme of sport and sustainability.
The flagship event will bring the world’s leading sustainability experts together at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, to examine the next level of thinking on sustainability and highlight the positive role that sport can play in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking with Nadal, I immediately understood how important sustainability is to him and his passion for the ocean. E1’s mission is to accelerate clean mobility and restore marine ecosystems, which I know Nadal and his team feel strongly about. I’d like to thank Nadal and his family for welcoming us at his academy, and we wish him the best of luck in preparation for his next tournament. Vamos Rafa!”
Professor Carlos Duarte, world-leading marine ecologist and E1’s Chief Scientist, added: “I’m delighted to see tennis legend Rafael Nadal join E1. Rafa epitomises elite sportsmanship and resilience. As a fellow Mallorquin islander, I know Rafa shares my passion and commitment for marine conservation, and I’m looking forward to having Rafa’s support on this important journey to deliver restoration of marine ecosystems at scale.”
The eagerly anticipated first season of the UIM E1 World Championship is scheduled to get underway later this year. In the coming months, championship organisers will E1-013 Classification: Public continue to accelerate preparations for the inaugural season, with more teams and race venues to be announced in due course.
