Top tennis player Rafael Nadal may have been beaten in the French Open but he is still fully supporting the promotion of tourism for his homeland, namely the island of Mallorca. Nadal, who comes from the town of Manacor on the eastern coast of Mallorca, had to make the difficult decision to leave the island when aged 14 and move to the Spanish mainland to pursue his tennis career. It proved to be the right move as the 23 year old has been world ranked number one since August 2008, but the top player loves his homeland and still lives in the family home on the island with his grandparents, parents and uncle/coach Toni Nadal. Rafael is a regular at the local tennis club in Manacor and was there recently preparing for the French Open.

The tourism authority for the Balearic islands announced the partnership at a press conference in Palma and have produced a promotional video entitled "The Islands of Nadal" in which Nadal showcases the natural, cultural, sporting and historical aspects of the four islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Coincidently, the head of tourism for the islands is also called Nadal, but he is not thought to be related, although Nadal's uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal, was a top Mallorcan footballer who played for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.