Rafael Nadal Academy
FounderRafael Nadal
Established19 October 2016 (age 10)
HeadToni Nadal
CityManacor
ProvinceBalearic Islands
CountrySpain
Coordinates39.5601°N 3.2133°E
Websiterafanadalacademy.com

The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (RNA) is a tennis training center on the island of Mallorca, Spain. It was founded in 2016 by Rafael Nadal and located in his hometown of Manacor. The inaugural director is Toni Nadal, Rafa's uncle and longtime coach.

History and facilities

Nadal founded the Rafa Nadal Foundation in 2008 and opened his first tennis school, the Nadal Educational Tennis School, in the Anantapur Sports Village in India in 2010.[1][2][3]

The Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor broke ground in November 2014.[4][5] Operations began in June 2016 and an opening ceremony was held on 19 October 2016.[6] At its opening, the academy was led by Toni Nadal (who stepped away from coaching his nephew the following year)[7] and Nadal's longtime agent Carlos Costa.[8] Nadal's new coach, former world No. 1 Carlos Moyá, was the technical director.[9]

The campus in Manacor has 23 hard courts (19 outdoor, 4 indoor), 20 clay courts (13 outdoor, 7 semi-indoor), 12 padel courts (6 outdoor, 6 indoor), two squash courts, a football pitch, and two swimming pools (outdoor and indoor).[10] There are also a sports medicine facility and an international school, the Rafa Nadal International School, for 10- to 18-year-olds.[1][6]

Among the tournaments held on the site is the Rafa Nadal Open on the ATP Challenger Tour.[1]

Notable people

Coaches

Alumni

References

  1. ^ Livaudais, Stephanie (2022-05-18). "The King's Empire: Rafael Nadal's ambition extends well beyond the terre battue". Tennis.com. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  2. ^ Pradhan, Snehal (2016-09-22). "Deep in the Andhra desert, Rafael Nadal has created an oasis of inspiration". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  3. ^ "Nadal inaugurates his tennis school". The Times of India. 2010-10-17. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  4. ^ "Nadal ready to train again for 'fascinating' 2015". Gulf Times. 2014-11-25. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  5. ^ "The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar Consolidates Its Growth With the Expansion of Its Facilities". Rafa Nadal Academy. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  6. ^ "Nadal Officially Opens Academy In Manacor". Association of Tennis Professionals. 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  7. ^ Rossingh, Danielle (2017-05-02). "Rafael and Toni Nadal to end tennis' most successful partnership". CNN. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  8. ^ Morley, Gary (2016-11-02). "Rafael Nadal: 'Humble gladiator' to teach the secrets of his tennis success". CNN. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  9. ^ Mitchell, Kevin (2016-12-17). "Rafael Nadal adds former world No1 Carlos Moya to coaching team". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  10. ^ "Sports Facilities". Rafa Nadal Academy. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  11. ^ "Technical Staff". Rafa Nadal Academy. Archived 2023-06-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ^ "Technical Staff". Rafa Nadal Academy. Archived 2019-12-04 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ^ Dioquino, Delfin (2023-06-15). "Alex Eala graduates from Rafa Nadal Academy". Rappler. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  14. ^ "Martín Landaluce, jugador de la academia de Nadal: "Entrené con él y pensaba que podía ir a Roland-Garros" [Martín Landaluce, player from the Nadal Academy: "I trained with him and I thought I could go to Roland-Garros] (in Spanish). Eurosport. 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  15. ^ Urdiola, Jesús (2023-05-02). "Jaume Munar, el alumno de Rafa Nadal que triunfa en el Mutua Madrid Open" [Jaume Munar, the Rafa Nadal student who wins at the Mutua Madrid Open] (in Spanish). ElDebate.com. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  16. ^ Kumar, Namit (2022-06-05). "Casper Ruud: The former Rafa Nadal Academy trainee with a sledgehammer forehand". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  17. ^ Thompson, Grant (2022-09-02). "Jordan's Shelbayh Makes ATP Challenger Tour History At Rafa Nadal Open". Association of Tennis Professionals. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  18. ^ "Tennis. Alina Korneeva, 16, spends pre-season at the Nadal Academy in Mallorca" (in Russian). 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  19. ^ "Alex Eala and Coleman Wong make history at the US Open". 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2025-08-31.