Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy – The Dream School of Tennis

Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy by Movistar is based in the 19-time Grand Slam champion, Rafa Nadal‘s hometown Manacor, Spain. It was established in 2016 and back then, Roger Federer was the guest of honor in the inauguration event. The academy has produced competitive tennis players on the professional tour.

Their Goal

Their aim is to inculcate ‘values’ within a player and they ensure that their students do not miss out on the fundamental element of life. As stated by the academy, “Rafa Nadal has created a unique training system, based on the experience acquired during all his years through the ATP circuit.”

Rafa Nadal Sports Centre – Infrastructure

The academy in Spain has 19 hard court tennis courts, seven clay courts, and a well-equipped fitness center. The junior tennis players enrolled in the academy are lodged within the radius of the campus and the diet of each student is meticulously taken care of.

Each student at the academy pays around 56,000 euros ($62,000) per annum to seek tennis lessons.

Coaching Team

A team of skillful tennis professionals and experienced coaches are employed to train the students. The group of coaches is led by Rafa’s uncle, Toni Nadal. Within the coaching team, there are a few people who have been instrumental towards Rafael Nadal’s successful tennis career.

“We have been working so that players from all over the world train in tennis and life skills in Mallorca, where we try to instill in them the importance of hard work, sacrifice and humility so that they perform as well as possible and give their all,” said Toni Nadal.

Once Roger Federer addressed his interests in teaching tennis at Rafa’s academy once he is done playing professional tennis.

Roger Federer – “I Would Like To Teach Tennis at Rafa Nadal Academy”

Physical Training

Rafa Nadal Academy provides the latest technology in equipment and machinery physical training. Preventive training methods are applied to prevent injuries. 

Mental Training

The mental strength is of paramount importance when it comes to tennis. The students have regular off the court sessions to develop their psychological skills. Which allows them to perform efficiently on and off the court.

The academy ensures that “a team of psychologists who accompany the athletes as they participate and supervise the development of their individual work plans and intervene when potential areas for improvement are identified.”

Tennis and education go hand in hand

Besides tennis, the children are also provided with a platform to continue with their education. The academy is supportive in providing facilities to the students to simultaneously pursue tennis and education.

They are “very focused on children and young adults formation, but it also counts with different training programs for adults, all of them adapted to the level and needs of each player.”

Competitions

The students are given a chance to get exposed to tennis competitions. Every student has a personalized competition calendar which depends on their age and tennis level. The competitions include local, national and international tournaments.

Rafa Nadal Challenger

The academy also hosts the challenger event, Rafa Nadal Open. This year the three-time Grand Slam, Andy Murray was one of the contestants.

Players from the Professional Circuit

The ATP players such as Casper Ruud and Jaume Munar broke into Top 100 ATP rankings after joining the team at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.

Then-World Number One, Naomi Osaka was witnessed practicing in the established tennis academy of Mallorca in the month of May this year. 

Sponsors

Movistar is their main sponsor. They are also supported by Air Europa, Cantabria Labs, and Heliocare. Also, KIA Motors, Nike, Babolat, LG, and Technogym sponsor them.

Rafa Nadal Museum

The academy also incorporates, ‘Rafa Nadal Museum Xperience.’ The visit to the museum is a fun learning experience of the values of the sport.

The museum represents, “the values that characterize its ambassadors, Rafael Nadal and its Foundation. Values such as effort, self-improvement, companionship, commitment or sportsmanship are the pillars of the Rafa Nadal Museum.”

Kuwait Centre

The world’s leading tennis centers, Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar will be inaugurating its other branch in the Middle-East. In collaboration with Tamdeen Group (a leading mixed-use property developer), the academy will be put up in Kuwait’s Shaikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah International Tennis Complex.

World Number one, Rafael Nadal will fly to Kuwait in February 2020 for formally opening the doors of the academy. “I’m personally thrilled to open the Academy in Kuwait. We’re working hard to create the right programs for the kids and our members, making for a strong development of tennis all over the region. See you very soon,” Rafael Nadal said.

It will be the most prominent international tennis academy in the Middle East and a part of the first multi-facility and services complex for tennis in Kuwait. The Kuwait academy will have 18 courts, eight outdoor, eight indoor, open court with 1,500 seats and covered arena with more than 5,000 seats.

The tennis players from Kuwait now have a top-notch arena to practice their sport and the country can assure a champion in the near future. “Here in Kuwait, we seek to do the same with young children and adults who come to these magnificent facilities,” said Toni Nadal.

“Nuno and the whole team of coaches will guarantee that the quality of our training is on par with the best in the world. With the aid of our great partner Tamdeen, we will help grow the sport in Kuwait,” he added.

Also, the academy will inculcate a five-star hotel, restaurants and diverse selection of retail outlets. The official meeting point of the Kuwait tennis federation will be located in Rafa’s academy itself.

Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Greece

It is based in the north of Greece, the Halkidiki Peninsula, which one of the most-visited tourist locations in the country. The tennis center is located in the Sani Resort, an incredible complex that is spread over 400 hectares.

The Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Greece comprises 8 clay courts on which tennis courses are available to players of all ages and standards.

Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Mexico

The academy in Mexica is located in Costa Mujeres. It is one of the leading global destinations. They have a wide range of tennis programs for adults and children. The tennis coaching practices are similar to that of Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (Mallorca, Spain).

Rafa Nadal Academy in India

The Rafa Nadal Foundation established a tennis program in Anantapur, India. It’s called the Nadal Educational & Tennis School (NETS) and presently more than 200 children are enrolled. They are taken care of by the experienced coaching staff.

Their aim: “Utilise Tennis as a tool for the holistic development of underprivileged and rural youth in Anantapur, by focusing on improving their health and well-being, supporting their education and teaching the sport of Tennis.”

The children are provided with tennis equipment and clothing including a stringing machine. “As well as state of the art tennis infrastructure including five floodlit clay courts and a practice wall.”