Spain's Rafael Nadal says that he believes the new Rafa Nadal Academy in Kuwait has the ability to help young players not only from Kuwait but also from the other countries in the Middle East and his group is open to having more academies in other countries if they find the right fit.

In an interview to Marca, Nadal says, "This is the first academy that we open outside of what is Manacor, in Mallorca. Yes it is true that we have other 'Rafa Nadal Tennis Center' in Mexico and Greece, but this time we had the opportunity to join a very strong group from here, from Kuwait, who are serious and hardworking people, and that they offer us the confidence to be able to develop the product in a way that excites and motivates us.

This is a region of the world that has the potential to help increase the culture of tennis; We believe that from the academy, we can help not only the young talents here in Kuwait, but throughout the Middle East. We already have several coaches from the Manacor academy who have been here for three months, helping local coaches to understand the model and the way we work.

And obviously, all the children of the Kuwait Federation are already centralized here, in the academy." Speaking about opening the academy in other countries, Nadal says he would be open to doing so only if they found the right people to work with.

"Well, the world is big. Why not? We are not closed to any possibility. And there are different options. But, like everything else in this world, every option that appears will be valued and we will try to do things convenient, associated with people who offer us confidence."

The Spaniard, who will play an exhibition event in Kuwait on Wednesday against David Ferrer to inaugurate the academy, says that he hopes the academy will spur local talent in the Kuwaiti region. "Everything is feasible.

In the end, the more people start playing tennis in this region, the more options there will be for an important talent to emerge from the professional field worldwide. We will try to do everything in the best possible way, working with passion and enthusiasm; and with the necessary resources so that children have the possibilities of growing at the tennis level, but also at the human level.

We always try to work from a basic principle, which is respect, the spirit of self-improvement and try to convey to boys and girls, to young people, that the ultimate goal, of course, is success; but that not everything is valid to achieve it.

It is important that they grow with strong values that can serve them in the sports field, but that, for those who do not get to live from sports, that they have adequate training that can be powerful enough to serve them for the future, in any professional or personal life situations they have."

The rest is here:
Rafael Nadal On His Hopes for New Academy in the Middle East - Tennis World USA