University of Salamanca names Rafael Nadal an honorary doctor despite opposition to ‘whim’ of under-fire rector

The University of Salamanca (USAL) has named former tennis player Rafael Nadal an honorary doctor. It was the institution’s most contentious decision in history regarding the conferral of this prestigious title to a prominent figure. The former athlete received a “no” vote from 34% of the doctors eligible to cast their opinion on the proposal of the rectorship, which is led by the controversial José Manuel Corchado, censured by the scientific community for his multiple self-citations in his publications and research.

Despite the fact that one in three rectors voted against, the results allowed the honorary position for Nadal to prosper, as well as that of the scientist Emmanuelle Charpentier, a renowned microbiologist, who in her case garnered an overwhelming majority. Critics argue that the 22-time Grand Slam winner lacks any connection with Salamanca and the research or academic prestige to make him worthy of the honoris causa.

The vote was held Monday afternoon in the doctors’ cloister, where 268 votes were cast, 90 of which were delegates. This collegiate body has the power to approve or deny — something very unusual in Spanish academia — the proposals issued by the Governing Council of the University of Salamanca, either on its own initiative or by a proposal from a department of the USAL. Nadal’s nomination emanated from the council itself, which put his name forward at the end of 2024. Corchado chaired the session, which ended with 177 votes in favor and 91 against awarding the title to the greatest Spanish tennis player of all time. This outcome is unusual, as such appointments typically receive overwhelming or nearly unanimous support. In contrast, Charpentier secured 263 votes in favor, with three blank votes and only two against.

The misgivings about Nadal’s appointment were already evident when the institution’s leadership put forward his name. At that time, the proposal was met with 32 affirmative opinions, six against, and three abstentions; Charpentier received 31 yes votes and one abstention. Sources in the university environment of Salamanca attribute this rejection — not a majority but nonetheless notable — to the maneuvers of the rector, Corchado, who has been heavily criticized by the academic community for what the Ethics Committee of the Spanish National Research Council termed the “deliberate” and “systematic” manipulation of his resume.

“The decision has caused a lot of commotion and unrest. It is a whim to try to appear in the media for other more edifying issues [than the criticism of Corchado’s maneuvers]. In reality, it achieves the opposite, stirring up the unrest that was still more or less latent and further damaging the national image of the university,” argue university sources. The rector endorsed the proposal for Nadal and stated that the recipient welcomed the proposal “with great enthusiasm.” Honorary doctors receive a “cheer,” that is, a painting on one of the university walls in which their honors and the date of appointment are highlighted.

The dean of the faculty of education, Ricardo Canal, praised the candidate as “one of the best athletes of all time, an example of values such as discipline and teamwork, humility and simplicity, perseverance and the spirit of improvement, and commitment to excellence.” Canal insisted that these values fit into USAL’s philosophy for its students, “whether to help them become professionals or researchers who work for a better society.” “Nadal is a great ambassador for our country and — why not — he can also be one for our university,” he concluded.

Critics reiterate that Nadal’s achievements lend him great social value, but that he lacks ties to Salamanca or university or research-related merits for such an honor. These sources note that the appointment has had a huge media impact and that the recently retired tennis player occasionally speaks in favor of USAL, but they insist that the appointment is inappropriate. In 2015, Nadal received this same honor from the European University of Madrid.

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