rafael nadal

Rafael Nadal Strikes An Armani Pose

Filed under: Apparel

Last month we learned that tennis champ Rafael Nadal would be the new face of Emporio Armani underwear and Armani Jeans. Now the first images have been revealed. The black and white images were shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott who also turned their lenses on Megan Fox for her latest campaign for Armani which is after the jump. The ads will officially launch next month. Last month Armani released a couple of behind the scenes images of the Nadal shoot on Facebook.

It's the first time in a while that a tennis player has been chosen to front the mens campaign. Soccer has ruled lately with first David Beckham, whose sexy billboards caused heads to turn. More recently Cristiano Ronaldo bared his chiseled stomach and wicked smile in Armani's Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 advertising campaign. Those pictures were from Ronaldo's second season as the face and body of Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans.

Tags: armani, megan fox, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot, mert and marcus, rafael nadal

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Nadal, Federer And Co. Headline Flood Fundraiser

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Sports

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal put aside their famous rivalry this weekend, teaming up with other top players to raise money for Australian flood victims on the day before the start of the Australian Open. In the "Rally for Relief" charity match, players got together on the courts with a common goal, to raise over $1 million Australian for those in the Queensland state who were stricken by the series of floods that have plagued the region. The players gave the 15,000 people attending at the Rod Laver Arena a good show, hamming it up with plenty of wisecracks. The fundraising efforts will continue throughout the Australian Open with players auctioning off shirts and other planned events.

Tennis players aren't the only sports figures contributing in Australia. Lance Armstrong, in Australia for the Tour Down Under, used the power of Twitter to organize a fundraising ride in Adelaide. He personally donated $50,000. Around 8,000 people turned out to ride with him. The Queensland Reds rugby team's doctors have offered free medical assistance to those affected by the floods. The Football Federation Australia donated $100,000 Australian to the relief effort and is planning more efforts.

Tags: australian open, lance armstrong, rafael nadal, rally for relief, roger federer, tour down under

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Play Tennis On A Floating Platform

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal took their long-standing rivalry to the water last weekend. The tennis champions, in Qatar for the Qatar Open, the official start of the tennis calendar, battled it out on a floating platform on a lagoon in Qatar with the city of Doha in the background. The stunt is similar to similar moves we've seen in Dubai, most recently AC Milan's soccer pitch in the sky. Federer has taken part in one of these events before, playing Andre Agassi on the Burj al-Arab's sky-high helipad.

Last year Nadal won the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles and on New Year's Day, Nadal edged out Federer at Abu Dhabi's invitational World Tennis Championships. Federer beat Dutch qualifier Thomas Schoorel at the Qatar Open with an amazing through-the-legs shot setting the stage for another potential battle.

Tags: qatar open, rafael nadal, roger federer

Rafael Nadal To Strip Down For Armani

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Men's Style

Ever want to see tennis champ Rafael Nadal in his skivvies? Be patient, your chance is coming. Nadal will step into the Armani briefs amply filled most recently by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo's. The Spanish player is the next face (and body) of Emporio Armani underwear and Armani Jeans. It's the first time in a while that a tennis player has been chosen. Soccer has ruled lately with first David Beckham, whose sexy billboards caused heads to turn. Shown at right is Nadal shirtless back in November. We have to wonder if a chest wax and a spray tan is in his future.

Tags: Armani Jeans, celebrity endorsement deals, celebrity endorsements, emporio armani, rafael nadal

Richard Mille RM027 Rafael Nadal Watch Is Ultra Light Weight

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Richard Mille excites us with another ultra-expensive timepiece with an interesting bragging point. This complex tourbillon mechanical watch weighs just 20 grams (with the strap). An incredibly light timepieces, which boggles the mind given its complex movement (which itself weights just 3.83 grams). Amazing! Probably the lighted luxury watch of its type ever. Adding to the the wow factor is the intended durability of the watch. The piece marks the official partnership between Richard Mille and tennis player Rafael Nadal - who will actually wear the watch during his tennis matches. Watch lovers understand that this last point is bound to raise questions. An ultra light weight watch, with a tourbillon, made to survive the abusive stress of a wrist while playing professional tennis? Yes.

A few years ago Tag Heuer was proud of its special golf watch for Tiger Woods, made to be worn (and be comfortable) while playing golf. This new announcement by Richard Mille makes the prior Tag Heuer watch seem almost irrelevant. Though there is a price. The RM027 Tourbillon watch will cost a whopping $525,000 and be limited to just 50 pieces. So what makes it so light and durable?

The answer is all in the materials. The case itself is 48mm by 39.7mm in size, and just 11.85mm thick. It is made from a composite of mostly carbon. Richard Mille isn't clear on the crystal, but it is probably something other than sapphire, and is said to have a high degree of durability and flexibility. The watch strap is a flexible polycarbonate. All the magic is in the movement. It is a manually wound caliber RM 027 with a tourbillon and 48 hours of power reserve. It is with a titanium baseplate, and bridges made from something called aluminum lithium (LITAL). The exotic metal alloy is extremely light and used for some high-profile industrial or aeronautical uses. By using interesting materials that are light and strong, Richard Mille has succeeded in developing arguably one of the most important luxury sport watches ever. With its ultra light weight and durability, Richard Mille should continue to be looked at as a maker of "useful" luxury watches for the highly privileged watch lover.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: lightest, Rafael Nadal, Richard Mille, RM 027, RM027, tourbillon, watch, weight

Larry Ellison Becomes A Tennis Titan

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Wealth

We knew tech billionaire Larry Ellison was into yacht racing but he is also a tennis enthusiast. This week he announced that he bought the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters event and the stadium where it is played. The tennis event will be held this year from March 8-21 in the Californian desert. Ellison bought the tournament and its grounds at Rancho Mirage from owners and founders Charlie Pasarell and Raymond Moore, former players and principals of PM Sports Management. He may have spent as much as $100 million on the facility. In a press release Ellison said he loves tennis and looks forward to being in Indian Wells each March to host the tournament.

According to an article in The Desert Sun, Indian Wells city officials are happy that Ellison is on board and hopeful that he will turn the Indian Wells Tennis Garden into a premier entertainment venue. There is also hope that the project will be beneficial to the entire Coachella Valley and that the stadium will become more than a one-event venue. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden opened in 2000 and has also hosted concerts including Eagles, Tom Petty and Andrea Bocelli and an annual Phoenix Suns NBA preseason game. Last year's BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament at Indian Wells was won by Rafael Nadal.

Gallery: The lavish world of Larry Ellison