19-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has opened up about his love for yachting after becoming the owner of a custom-built Sunreef 80 (24.4 metres) yacht.
Speaking to Forbes magazine about his new yacht, the tennis superstar noted how going out to sea enables him to destress and relax prior to and following his exploits on the court.
“I live on an island, it’s part of the local lifestyle. When you have your own personal boat, you decide when you go out. When you charter out, you can’t just choose to go immediately. When your boat is next to your house, you wake up, have breakfast and say: “you know what, I want to spend the day out there on the boat.
“I can get away from the stress that way. To me it’s important, it helps me restore positive energy. That’s something that helps me move forward with my tennis career, it’s one of the things I really appreciate in boating.
“Of course, to go for ownership is a tough decision, because it’s expensive, but it’s just good for my personal life.”
The Spaniard also explained why he chose the 80 Sunreef Power specifically.
"Firstly, you can customise the boat and make it truly adapted to your needs. Second thing is when you are at anchor, the stability is just unbelievable. You can always relax, sleep, it’s perfect. Sometimes you won’t even feel you are on a yacht, because it feels so much like a home. It’s a yacht that you can use like a home."
Nadal says he plans to use his new yacht around his home at the moment but hopes to be able to use it to travel further afield upon sporting retirement.
"I am going to use the boat most of the time in the Balearic Islands. Mainly because I don’t have a lot of time these days to go very far. I have to keep training and keep my focus on tennis. Hopefully in the near future I will have the chance to take the boat to other places and discover the world.
“I feel very fortunate to have the boat and to be able to share it with my friends and family. At the end of the day, it doesn’t make any sense to keep the boat just to yourself. If I own a yacht, it is to share it."
Nadal is the current world number two and, in a glittering career, has won a record 12 French Open titles.
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