ARTICLES:

• Tennis star Rafa Nadal to receive honorary doctorate from Spanish university (via laprensasa.com)

… Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of the Balearic Islands, or UIB, in recognition of his athletic achievements and the values he has upheld during his career, the higher education institution said.

• By The Numbers: Nadal, Djokovic, Federer Dominate The Desert (via ATP)
• How tennis players would accept Oscars (via SI.com)

Rafael Nadal: [Takes his time getting to the stage] “Hello, everybody guys. I just like to say thank you very much, no? This year has been very difficult one for me and to win this award after seven months I couldn’t work or do nothing is unbelievable feeling for me. First, well, I want to congratulate the other nominees. They all performed with fantastic effort and they are all, for me, the greatest actor of all the time, no? So thank you very much for them. Second, I want to thank my team and my family for their support. To my tío Toni, thanks a lot for the instruction in the second half of the movie. That changed for me the performance so thank you very much. To be here, after seven months I couldn’t practice or read scripts, I never think I gonna be here. Of course I had my doubts, but is normal. Everybody gonna have doubts. But with positive illusions and I worked very hard, I try my best to be here. Is unbelievable feeling so thankyouverymuch.”

• The Mutua Madrid Open announces its plans for 2014 (via madrid-open.com)

… One of the biggest innovations for this year’s edition of the tournament will be its first ever Charity Day on the 2nd of May, the first day of the tournament. The Charity Day will include a charity gala at 17:00, in the Caja Mágica. The first edition of the gala, which will now be held every year, will include the collaboration of the Rafa Nadal and Iker Casillas foundations and all the money raised will go towards initiatives of those foundations.

• Rafa Nadal viaja al desierto californiano para defender su trono (via mundodeportivo.com)

… El tenista español Rafael Nadal, actual número uno del mundo y vigente campeón en Indian Wells, el primer Masters 1000 de la temporada, regresa al desierto californiano, uno de sus torneos favoritos, con la intención de sumar su cuarta corona.

• Corona ATP Weekly Slice: Stars Align In Indian Wells (via ATP)

… Rafael Nadal is the top seed and defending champion, while the most decorated player in event history, Roger Federer, seeks his fifth crown. Novak Djokovic, a titlist in 2008 and 2011, is seeded second.

VIDEOS:

• The Nadal-Djokovic Rivalry: There’s so much to say about Rafa and Nole, but no one knows where their rivalry will go next.
• ATP World Tour Uncovered March Mania
• Tennis Training Tips from Toni Nadal Part 2
• Happy World Tennis Day!
• IPTL Promo
• Rafael Nadal stars in Kia ad
• Rafa goes diving in Mexico

ICYMI: New ATP Rankings, March 3, 2014: Wawrinka is still No. 1 In The 2014 Points Race, Ahead Of Rafael Nadal