Tennis Legend Nadal Visits Korea: "Humility and Passion Are the Secrets to Maintaining the Top"

"Kia vehicles improve every time I drive them... Investing in junior development is crucial"

Rafael Nadal extends partnership with Kia (SEOUL=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim In-chul = World-renowned tennis player Rafael Nadal gives remarks at the official partnership extension signing ceremony held at Kia Unplugged Ground in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 23rd. 2025.10.23 yatoya@yna.co.kr

'Tennis legend' Rafael Nadal (Spain) identified 'humility and passion' as the secrets behind his ability to consistently maintain world-class performance throughout his career.

Nadal attended the Kia global partnership extension ceremony held at Kia Unplugged Ground in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 23rd.

This marks the first time in 12 years that Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam men's singles champion, has visited Korea since 2013.

During his opening remarks at the event, Nadal said, "It has been a long time since I last visited a wonderful country like Korea," adding, "It is a pity that I haven't had the opportunity to visit, but I hope to have more chances to experience Korean culture in the future."

Nadal, who has been supported by Kia since 2004, marking a journey of over 20 years, recalled, "Kia, which has supported me for so long, is like family to me," adding, "I cannot forget the time they reached out to me when I was just 17 years old and didn't even have a driver's license."

When asked to provide advice to the Kia group based on the consistency he demonstrated during his athletic career, he responded, "I'm not sure if I am in a position to advise a world-class company like Kia," before pointing to humility and passion as the key elements.

Nadal, who retired after playing through last season, stated, "No matter how high you are at the top, you must realize that there is always room for improvement," adding, "You need to wake up every morning thinking that you need to work harder and improve further."

He added, "Of course, you can be satisfied with your achievements thus far, but it is important to set new goals and keep working toward them. And to do that, you must have passion."

Nadal advised, "If you don't have passion and affection for what you do, it's hard to strive for improvement," and added, "Instead of heading to the office or the court every morning out of obligation, you should do it with the determination to become better."

Kia extends partnership with Rafael Nadal (SEOUL=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim In-chul = World-renowned tennis player Rafael Nadal speaks with the moderator at the official Kia partnership extension signing ceremony held at Kia Unplugged Ground in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 23rd. 2025.10.23 yatoya@yna.co.kr

He also expressed his affection for the cars manufactured by Kia.

Mentioning Kia models such as the Sportage and Sorento, he noted, "I am currently driving the EV9, and it is impressive to see that there are so many improvements every time I drive a new version compared to the previous one."

Nadal, who selected Korean prospects Hong Ye-ri and Kim Si-yoon to train at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain, stated, "Investing in young athletes is essential," and added, "Since Korea has achieved successful results in golf, I believe it can also discover great talent in tennis."

He continued, "If Korea produces a top-tier player, it will provide much more motivation for young athletes," adding, "If the government and companies work together to create something that sparks interest in children to play tennis, it can bring about significant changes in the medium to long term."

Nadal, who is scheduled to meet with fans later in the afternoon, expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thanks to the support from Kia, I have been able to receive a lot of encouragement from Korean fans." Yonhap News