This Saturday, the Rafa Nadal Academy enjoyed an unforgettable day celebrating its 10th anniversary in Manacor, which culminated in a victory for the team captained by the Spanish sports legend on his emotional return for the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam.
The excitement lasted until the very end, and after six matches, Team Rafa and Team Murray—captained by Scotland’s Andy Murray—ended in a 3-3 tie, sending the series to a decisive tiebreaker match that ultimately went in favor of the former Mallorcan tennis player’s team.
Regardless of the outcome, the fans who packed the Academy’s center court were once again able to enjoy watching Rafa Nadal on the court—and to do so alongside several of the players with whom he shared one of the most brilliant eras in the history of the sport.
Team Rafa, captained by Nadal and featuring Carlos Moyà, David Ferrer, and Richard Gasquet, faced off against Team Murray, led by the former Scottish tennis player himself and featuring Marat Safin, Dominic Thiem, and Fabio Fognini.
The celebration also provided an opportunity to look back on the journey since October 19, 2016, when the Rafa Nadal Academy officially opened its doors at a ceremony attended by Roger Federer, among other guests.
Ten years later, the Rafa Nadal Academy celebrated the project’s establishment as an international center for sports and academic training and has expanded its methodology worldwide. It currently has locations in Kuwait, Costa Mujeres, Punta Cana, Greece, Egypt, Marbella, and Hong Kong, with Brazil set to join the network in 2027 and Lombok (Indonesia) in 2028.
To celebrate this milestone anniversary, Nadal once again donned his tennis attire and took to the court—albeit in a friendly match—to look back on his legendary career as a 22-time Grand Slam champion, who retired from professional tennis in 2024.
After the exhibition match, the crowd that packed the stands at the Rafa Nadal Academy’s center court enjoyed a performance by David Bisbal, who provided the musical finale to a historic day on which the Academy celebrated its first ten years in style.
