More than 3,000 people gathered on Thursday at the Rafa Nadal Academy to enjoy the latest edition of “El Tie-Break: Wines and Tapas,“ an event that once again demonstrated that the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar aspires to be much more than just a simple tennis tournament.
Coinciding with the ATP Challenger tournament held in Manacor until this Sunday, September 6, the Academy transformed one of the competition days into an event where food, wine, music, and sport were the stars.
The culinary event brought together some of Mallorca’s most renowned names. Grupo DCastro, Santi Taura, Übeck, La Loba, and Cassai, together with the Rafa Nadal Academy’s Roland-Garros Restaurant, created special dishes for an evening that showcased the island’s diversity and high level of cuisine.
The wine section featured five leading wineries from the Balearic Islands—4 Kilos, Binigrau, Can Axartell, Gallinas y Focas, and Ribas—alongside Casa Rojo. This selection turned the event into a showcase of the region’s talent, products, and wine identity.
More than just a simple tennis tournament
“We are delighted with the reception this edition of ‘El Tie-Break: Vins i Tapes’ has received. “Bringing together more than 3,000 people at the Academy in a single night shows that the Rafa Nadal Open has succeeded in becoming much more than just a tennis tournament,” says Maribel Nadal, Deputy Director General of the Rafa Nadal Academy. “We want people to come and enjoy the matches, but also to discover the culinary, musical, and entertainment offerings that will make them want to stay and experience the tournament all day long,” she adds.
The event lasted more than three hours, with music playing a key role. DJ JAG – Jaume Grimalt and PD’s Rentaplats provided the evening’s soundtrack with their vinyl sets, before The Siberets brought the night to a close with a live performance.
For Maribel Nadal, the involvement of restaurants and wineries is also an essential part of the concept: “We are also proud to have such prestigious restaurants and wineries and to offer the public a small taste of the high quality of the cuisine and products we have here in Mallorca. Their involvement has been crucial in ensuring that this evening has been, once again, a success.”
The public’s response has established ‘El Tie-Break: Vins i Tapes’ as one of the most important side events of the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar and reflects the evolution of the tournament itself. Eight editions later, the Manacor Challenger has forged an identity that goes beyond the sporting competition: that of an event capable of combining top-level tennis with gastronomy, music, and entertainment, and of turning a visit to the Rafa Nadal Academy into a complete experience.
A strategy that aligns with an increasingly prevalent trend in sports: competition as a starting point for creating experiences capable of attracting, retaining, and connecting with the audience beyond the sporting event itself.
The Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar program continued on Saturday with another edition of the San Miguel 0.0 Tardeo. Fans enjoyed live music and DJ sets by Grupo Val9, Anto Cabanellas, and Biel Castell. Meanwhile, the tournament is now entering its final stages, with the grand final set to take place this Sunday between Felix Balshaw and Iñaki Montes de la Torre.
