RAFA NADAL IS SPONSORED BY KIA CARS BUT WINS A MERCEDES IN STUTTGART, IS THAT A GIFT FOR UNCLE TONI, BENITO? IT’S A BEAUTY. YELLOW!

Written by: Staff on 16th June 2015

Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with his trophy after winning the final match against Viktor Troicki of Serbia at the ATP tennis tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, 14 June 2015. EPA/MARIJAN MURAT

Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with his trophy after winning the final match against Viktor Troicki of Serbia at the ATP tennis tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, 14 June 2015. EPA/MARIJAN MURAT |

“66th #ATP title… and a sweet ride, too. Congrats @rafaelnadal! #tennis #mercedescup #Nadal” – Photo by @atpworldtour via Instagram.

Nadal Found Himself In A Conflict Of Sponsorship

Rafael Nadal picked up his second title of the season by winning in Stuttgart, but the Spaniard found himself in a conflict of sponsorship during the trophy ceremony.

The winner of the tournament is presented with a top-line Mercedes, courtesy of the luxury automobile manufacturer, which is the title sponsor of the tournament, as a substitute for the 104,600 Euro prize money. Nadal, however, is sponsored by Kia, having signed with the company when he was just a teenager and recently renewing a multiyear deal with them to feature in commercials and advertising as its global spokesperson.

And Nadal did not forget his role as he stepped up to take the trophy in Stuttgart, either. As organizers showed him the Mercedes, the Spaniard was quipping about his position with good humor. “It’s not a Kia, but it’s still good,” he said.

But despite his association with an economy automobile, Nadal has a liking for expensive vehicles, having sometimes rewarded himself with a topline model following a Grand Slam event victory. He said he would “perhaps yes” drive his new Mercedes, but only when the cameras are not around.

The car could be in for a paint job, however — its tennis-ball yellow look, done especially for the tournament, was not appealing to Nadal, who said, “I don’t know if I can change the color, because the color is a little bit too much for me.”

Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with his trophy after winning the final match against Viktor Troicki of Serbia at the ATP tennis tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, 14 June 2015. EPA/MARIJAN MURAT

There were no such problems for the WTA tournament in Stuttgart, which is played at the beginning of the clay season — the title sponsor, Porsche, is also the sponsor of this year’s winner, Angelique Kerber, as well as Maria Sharapova, the champion the previous three years.

Nadal is said to earn $28 million annually in endorsements, including his deal with Kia Motors.

Content via Bob Larson tennis news.

Topics: Atp World Tour, Kia Motors, Mercedes, Mercedes Cup, Rafa Nadal, Sports, Stuttgart, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

June 16, 2015 at 9:26 am

-@RafaelNadal IS SPONSORED BY @Kia CARS BUT WINS A #MERCEDES IN #STUTTGART, IS THAT A GIFT FOR UNCLE TONI, BENITO?- http://t.co/NFzeDdy0KY