22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal is currently out of action, but not out of work. It seems that amidst his travels and as time off the court otherwise, Nadal has built a strong business empire which will serve him well even after retirement. Being one of the trustworthy and marketable athletes in world sport, the Spaniard has several brand endorsements to his name that help him fund his business ventures or initiatives.
Rafael Nadal’s family has helped him largely in setting up as well as managing the businesses so that he can mainly focus on tennis and in the meantime, learn the tricks of the trade. This has enabled the former World No.1 to virtually create a conglomerate of businesses predominantly in Spain and diversifying gradually in other countries. And Nadal seems to have been bitten by the hospitality bug recently to create an evergreen personal brand.
Nadal partners with Melia chain of hotels to create new ZEL hospitality brand
Rafael Nadal is one of the few athletes whose interests in the real estate markets in the European and North American continents are publicized. Cracking the code of making bucket loads of money outside tennis too, Nadal has already purchased many pieces of land to build multiple luxury apartments and restaurants, all of which have turned out to be successful ventures.
However, Nadal has clearly followed the footsteps of two athletes he admires – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, in setting up a new chain of hotels called ZEL, partnering with the reputed Melia brand in Spain. Ronaldo was the first to establish a $75 million joint venture in the hospitality sector in Europe back in 2016, in partnership with the Pestana Group. Messi followed in 2017 with an alliance of his own with the world renowned Majestic Hotel Group.
Rafael Nadal was quoted as saying in a press release –
“As a Spaniard, Mallorcan and frequent traveller, I have been planning the launch of our hotel brand for a long time. ZEL is synonymous with feeling good at every moment, enjoying life and the way we live it all over the Mediterranean. I was very attracted from the beginning by this new concept that we are working on with Meliá. I am convinced that ZEL will be a great success, will grow considerably and will be appreciated by all travellers who stay in hotels, which is ultimately why we are creating it.”
Nadal’s first ZEL hotel has opened up in his hometown of Mallorca, as many have guessed by now. The plan clearly is to open 20 more hotels in the next 5 years.
Rafael Nadal net worth and the genius calculation behind ZEL investment
According to a Spanish publication El Mundo, the Rafael Nadal net worth figure stood at approximately $220 million as of February 2023. Although Nadal is largely a private person off the court, he has been to earn more than $500 million with ease over the years. This is due to endorsements with brands such as Nike, Babolat, Kia Motors, Santander, Emperio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger and Telefonica, most of whom have supported him since the beginning of his professional career on the ATP Tour.
Rafael Nadal has the honor of being the second richest men’s player of all-time in tennis when it come to his prize money earnings, which are $135 million approximately. Using these funds, Nadal runs his own venture capital company, Aspemir which earned nearly $22 million in profits in the last financial year thanks to investing in 20 companies. Making the most of those profits and already successful ventures, Nadal will be using that same money to invest in the ZEL chain of hotels.
It is interesting to see whether Nadal plays the entire 2024 season and wins tournaments, due to which he can focus on making his new business successful and creating other new ones as well. Therefore, it is essential that he remains in the public eye for another 12-15 months at least.
