World number two Rafael Nadal became Kia Motors’ global ambassador when he was just 19-years old. His association with Kia began with ‘Kia Spain’ in 2004. Since then, they have been loyal to each other. And now, their partnership will soon surpass the 20-year mark as Rafa has signed the renewal of their contract.

On Friday, the major partner of the Australian Open, Kia Motors announced the renewal of their partnership with the 19-time Grand Slam champion.

Nadal was hosting a fan-led training session from the Rafael Nadal Academy in his hometown of Mallorca, Spain. Following that, he addressed his sponsorship extension with the South Korean firm.

“Kia has been by my side since I was 17 years old and has played a big part in my journey as a professional tennis player and as a person. I’m excited to see what the next five years bring both on and off the court,” Nadal mentioned during the LIVE session.

Kia Motors CEO addresses its prolonged partnership with Rafael Nadal

The CEO of Kia Motors was also glad to announce this renewal with the legendary tennis star.

“Our 16-year partnership with Rafa has inspired millions of people to play tennis, so at a time when he needs his fans the most, we wanted to put them at the heart of his training and encourage his successful return to competition,” Kia Motors President and CEO, Ho Sung Song stated.

“We are excited about extending our partnership for the next five years and look forward to inspiring each other to continually move forward.”

Presently, the Spaniard tennis ace is training hard on the clay courts. He has announced his appearance at the Madrid Masters in the month of September. From the looks of this, it seems like Rafa won’t be flying to New York to defend his US Open crown.

Source – Jess Golden Twitter