At last! GOTOTENNIS scores an exclusive interview with RAFAEL NADAL!
Okay, okay, here’s the full story: The LA Times reported yesterday that Rafael Nadal is running for Congress. Upon further investigation, I discovered that the candidate isn’t Rafa “Vamos” Nadal, but a gentleman named Rafael F. Nadal, a businessman from Rosemead, California. He’s running for the 32nd Congressional District seat that was vacated when former Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte) stepped down to became secretary of Labor for the Obama administration.
Mr. Nadal (pictured above, in his tennis prime) was kind enough to talk to me via email about his connection to the “other” tennis-playing Rafael Nadal:
Of course I know of Rafael, the Nadal. The root where I came in immigrated from Spain, to the Dominican Republic. I will be willing to bet that there is a family connection between us. Nadal is a relatively small family outside Spain, where we came from.
As for Rafael, the tennis great, I have narrowed it to telling people, ‘oh, that is my nephew’ and people love that. If I say something else, they seem disappointed – I wish to keep them happy.
As for things we share in common, I too played tennis once (see the picture from my younger years.) I used to wear my hair long, like my nephew. (LOL)
Maybe someday before I finish with running for Congress, I can meet Rafael, and have a photo with him (laugh.) And share with him how much extra conversation he has caused me from California to Mexico, trying to tell folks that there is no connection.
<signed>
Rafael Nadal, the politician
Now if only he was running against a Swiss-American guy named Roger Federer!
Visit www.nadalforcongress.com to learn more about candidate Rafael Nadal and his campaign.
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