Rafael Nadal As Your Boss? Spaniards Say ‘Vamos!’

Losing sleep over an urgent report you have to submit on Monday? Stuck in one of those endless work meetings and running out of patience? Have you ever thought seriously about changing companies because of your boss?

None of these questions would have to be asked if Rafael Nadal was at the helm of the company. According to a survey by a Spanish employment portal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who is one of the best sportsmen of all time, is also the ideal boss for most of his countrymen.

In a study that surveyed almost 5,000 people, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was the favourite choice of his compatriots to take the reins in the office. The Mallorcan’s virtues extend beyond the tennis courts and the people of Spain consider him ideal for successfully running a working environment.

Fifty-eight per cent of those surveyed pointed to his humility, while 50% trust the honesty he projects and 48% of respondents value the passion he transmits at work. In total, 45% of participants chose Nadal as their first choice to lead any project.

The former No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings topped a list of names that are hugely influential in Spanish society. Nadal beat virologist Margarita del Val (33%) and epidemiologist Fernando Simón (23%), both figures who had a significant public presence during the COVID-19 pandemic, businessman Jeff Bezos (24%), the founder of Amazon, and Ibai Llanos (19%) a Spanish internet celebrity.

The winner of 90 ATP titles is clearly still highly regarded in his home country and frequently comes out on top of these types of surveys. In the 2017 season, he received similar recognition from a poll run by an employment agency, which in 2019 also put him among the favourites for Spanish children aged between four and 16.