Andy Murray will return to Mallorca to lead the team that will face Rafa Nadal’s team on October 3 at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor. The former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion will be the first player confirmed for the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam, the major event with which the Academy will celebrate its 10th anniversary.
Nadal himself made the announcement in a video posted on his social media accounts, in which he personally invites the Scottish tennis player to return to Mallorca. “I know you’ve been practicing a lot, almost like a pro. I can’t practice as much as you, but I think I can still be competitive,” Nadal jokes before suggesting the format for the celebration: “Maybe you can gather some of your friends and I’ll gather some of mine, and we can have a team competition here at the Academy to celebrate the 10th anniversary.”
“It would be fantastic for all of us here at the Academy to welcome you back,” Nadal concludes in his message to Murray. This will be the Scot’s third visit to the Rafa Nadal Academy. His first visit took place in 2016, during a training session, and three years later he returned to Manacor to compete in the 2019 Rafa Nadal Open. This time, he’ll be there as captain of Team Murray, which will face off against Team Rafa in a match that will once again bring together on the court two of the greatest players from one of the most competitive generations in tennis history.
Nadal and Murray will take the court together again more than a decade after their last matchup, in the semifinals of the 2016 Mutua Madrid Open. Throughout their careers, they have staged some of the most memorable matches on the tour and faced off numerous times at major tournaments. Now the setting will be very different: the 10th-anniversary celebration of the academy that Nadal opened in Manacor in 2016. The rest of the players on both teams will be announced in the coming days.
A Decade of the Rafa Nadal Academy
The Rafa Nadal Academy Slam will be the centerpiece of an event designed to celebrate the first ten years of a project that, since its opening in Manacor, has welcomed players, families, and fans from all over the world. The Academy has become one of the leading initiatives linked to Nadal’s athletic legacy and combines tennis training with a methodology based on the values associated with the sport.
The venue’s gates will open at 2:30 p.m., with a program featuring culinary offerings, interactive activities, and entertainment. At 4:00 p.m., on-court exhibitions, challenges, and other activities with special guests will begin. At 5:00 p.m., the highlight of the day will take place: the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam, with Nadal and Murray leading their respective teams. The event can also be watched live on Movistar Plus, which will provide special coverage.
The celebration will continue after the tennis matches. Starting at 7:30 p.m., the Academy will offer dining options, food trucks, and entertainment until midnight. The day will conclude with a performance by an international artist, whose identity will be announced shortly.
The Rafa Nadal Academy Slam will thus kick off the Academy’s 10th-anniversary celebrations and will also hold special symbolic significance for Nadal: it will be the first time he has played in front of a live audience since retiring from professional tennis in November 2024.
