The tennis legend Rafael Nadal will be one of the team owners in the E1 UIM world championship, the first in the world for electric boats. The 22-time winner of the Grand Slam will participate with his own team in the opening season this year. In addition to his incredible success in the tennis court, Nadal, originally from Majorca, shares with the E1, his passion for preserving the oceans and strongly supports its mission to accelerate the transition towards sustainable mobility.

“I am really enthusiastic – said Rafael Nadal – to be involved in a project like the E1, which promotes sustainability and will have a positive impact on society, and in particular on coastal communities. I particularly appreciate the fact that the E1 has such a specific mission to work on preserving marine ecosystems. As a professional athlete I recognise that marginal earnings have a positive impact on performance. The E1 applies this same competitive spirit and this approach for optimising the performance and efficiency of sustainable marine mobility, and this is excellent news for our oceans.”

THE E1 BLUE ACTION PROGRAMME

Nadal also supports the E1 Blue Action programme, created to make a positive impact on local communities through the implementation of projects aimed at restoring marine ecosystems along the coasts.

The Blue Action Programme will be led by professor Carlos Duarte, also from Majorca, and Chief Scientist for E1. Duarte is a world famous marine ecologist who will play a fundamental role in the development of E1’s global sustainability strategy, in addition to supporting the sustainability initiatives of the Rafa Nadal Academy and continuing in his efforts for sustainable sport.

Nadal’s new team will compete against other teams who have already signed on to participate in the championship, including the Venice Racing Team. Nadal is now part of a list of VIP team owners, including the Formula 1 pilot, Sergio Perez, representing his country of birth, Mexico.

The co-founder and president of E1, Alejandro Agag, visited Nadal at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Majorca, where he admired the innovative tennis centre and was impressed by the high level facilities and how technology has been integrated into the academy’s activities.

SPORT AND SUSTAINABILITY

It is believed that the partnership between Nadal and E1 will extend beyond the races and will include the launch of an international training event centred on sport and sustainability. The event aims to bring together the main international experts in sustainability at the Rafa Nadal Academy, to work together on taking the next steps to focus the spotlight on the positive role that sport can play in reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs.

“This is incredible news – noted Alejandro Agag, co-founder and president of E1 – hearing that someone like Rafael Nadal is joining the E1 UIM world championship.  He is not only one of the best tennis players of all time, but also a sports icon who has gone beyond his own sport. Speaking with Nadal, I immediately understood how important sustainability is for him and how passionate he is about the ocean. E1’s mission is to accelerate the transition to more sustainable mobility and restore marine ecosystems, which are objectives strongly shared by Nadal and his team. I would like to thank Nadal and his family for having welcomed us in his academy and we wish him good luck for his next tournament. Vamos Rafa!”.

“Having a team owner like Rafael Nadal – added Rodi Basso – co-founder and CEO of E1 – is further demonstration of the importance of our mission and not just at a professional level. It is incredible to see how much Rafa is motivated both in and out of the tennis court, and in particular how interested he is in the oceans and marine life. Nadal’s academy is the perfect expression of this, focused on creating a better world for future generations and on improving the lives of young people. E1 shares this philosophy: we want people to be able to enjoy our oceans and the precious coastal areas for many years to come.”

WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT

Also satisfied is Carlos Duarte, internationally renowned marine ecologist and Chief Scientist for E1. “I am happy – said Duarte – to see tennis legend Rafael Nadal join E1. Rafa embodies sportsmanship and resilience. As a fellow countryman of Majorca, I know that Rafa shares my passion and my efforts in preserving the marine environment and I can’t wait to have his support in this important journey to restoring marine ecosystems.”

The first season of the E1 UIM world championship will be in 2023. Over the next few months, the championship organisers will continue preparations for the opening season, announcing new teams and race locations.