The Rafa Nadal Academy: a model of expertise and professionalism for tennis’s future stars
Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest legends in tennis. The Spaniard was part of the legendary Big 3 era for twenty years alongside Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, his two biggest rivals. Together, the three men dominated the tour, sharing almost all the major titles.
The Majorcan’s record speaks for itself. Nicknamed “the King of Clay,” Nadal has won twenty-two Grand Slam titles, including fourteen at Roland-Garros alone between 2005 and 2022. During his professional career, he was already thinking about the future and inaugurated the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor on October 16, 2016.
WHAT THE RAFA NADAL ACADEMY OFFERS
Rafael Nadal developed his project under the guidance of his uncle Toni, now the director of the academy. While the sporting side is obviously very important, the Spaniard has not neglected classes and education. With the aim of helping young people fulfill their dreams, the Rafa Nadal Academy allows them to live in the same conditions as professional athletes. Courts, medical center, everything is designed so that they have a wide range of tools at their disposal from a very young age.
The origins of the Rafa Nadal Academy project
“This is a very important project for me. A long time ago, I was a child. Based on my personal experience, I know how difficult it is for parents. It’s not easy to become a professional, especially when you don’t work in a center or in an academy that has everything necessary for the development of a player.
I remember my parents driving me everywhere all week or on weekends. First to school for regular classes, then to tennis practice. The days were very intense and difficult,” Rafael Nadal explained in an interview with Tennis Head in August 2020.
School, medical center, training: the core of the Rafa Nadal Academy
“At the Rafa Nadal Academy, we try to bring everything together and to have the best possible facilities in every area.
The goal is to help the children develop all their talents. There is a school, of course. We cannot forget education, which is very important to us. We have to prepare them for their future, whether it’s university or another path they want to take,” Nadal continues.
“To play high-level sport, it’s essential to have a medical center. There is always a risk of injuries, and we must make sure we have health professionals at the academy, whether physios or doctors. And of course, we try to build the most competent coaching team possible.
We are lucky to have many coaches with a lot of experience: my uncle Toni, Gabriel Urpi, Joan Bosch, Joel Figueras… They have all been on the professional tour for a very long time. They know the process of becoming a professional,” Nadal says, while Carlos Moya, former world No. 1 and Roland-Garros champion in 1998, is the academy’s technical director.
“When the kids come here, they know they will be in good hands in terms of preparation. We really put the emphasis on that and we believe we are passing on the right values,” the Majorcan concludes.
THE RAFA NADAL ACADEMY IS EXPANDING ACROSS THE GLOBE
Since the opening of the first complex in 2016, the international expansion project of the Majorcan academy has gained momentum. Facilities are now available all around the world, starting with Europe. In addition to Manacor, a second center opened in Marbella, then a third in Greece in the summer of 2019.
Rafa Nadal Academy facilities on almost every continent
Two other Rafa Nadal Academy centers have been inaugurated in Asia. In February 2020, it set up in Kuwait. In July 2022, an additional complex opened in Hong Kong. To continue growing its reputation worldwide, the academy also arrived in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, in September 2024.
North America is also involved, with centers in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. The latter opened its doors quickly, in 2018. It was the first Rafa Nadal Academy complex inaugurated outside Spain.
Each center has its own particular features. In Mexico, there are only clay courts, plus one padel court and another for soccer. In Kuwait, there are clay courts but also hard courts, a gym, and a spa. Finally, the complex in Cairo is smaller, with only two outdoor hard courts available.
In any case, all Rafa Nadal Academy establishments have one thing in common. Adults and children alike can choose from individual, family, or group tennis programs.
A complex in South America to open in 2028
That’s not all, as a new continent will soon be included in the Spanish legend’s project. At the end of November 2025, the academy announced the arrival of a new facility dedicated to training the world’s best talents. It will be built in Brazil, more specifically in Porto Belo. It will be the first Rafa Nadal Academy complex in South America. The details of this ninth center are already known.
This new Rafa Nadal Academy complex will include seventeen tennis courts (six clay and eleven hard). There will also be eight padel courts, a cafeteria, a store dedicated to sports equipment, and a gym reserved for players and visitors.
“We are delighted that the international expansion of the academy is reaching South America. There is a great passion for sport in Brazil and I am convinced that this project will be a success,” Nadal himself reacted following the announcement of this new step.
A TRAINING GROUND FOR THE CHAMPIONS OF TOMORROW
The Rafa Nadal Academy has already trained players who have proven themselves on tour. Several youngsters trained by the Majorcan’s teams have already won major Junior tournaments. This is further proof that the work carried out by the academy is bearing fruit. It demonstrates its ability to bring young players to the highest level.
Alcaraz, symbol of the Rafa Nadal Academy’s success
World No. 1 at the end of the 2025 season, Carlos Alcaraz was a student at the Rafa Nadal Academy. The young Spaniard, whose early career is eerily reminiscent of that of his illustrious predecessor, went through the academy in 2019. At the time, he was 16 years old and playing on the Challenger Tour.
Considered a young prodigy, Alcaraz rapidly climbed the ranks. In February 2020, he played his first tournament on the main tour at the ATP 500 in Rio. In Brazil, he defeated Albert Ramos-Viñolas, a clay-court specialist, in the first round. Federico Coria then narrowly beat him in the round of 16.
Since then, the great hope of world tennis has only confirmed all the expectations placed on him. He won his first main-tour title against Richard Gasquet in Umag in 2021. He then captured the Next Gen ATP Finals that same year. It was in 2022, however, that Alcaraz truly moved into another dimension.
That year, he won his first Masters 1000 titles (Miami, Madrid) as well as the US Open. After his triumph at Flushing Meadows, he became the youngest world No. 1 in history, a sign of his incredible rise in just a few months.
Ruud and Munar, students of the Rafa Nadal Academy
Carlos Alcaraz is not the only player to have spent time at Nadal’s academy. Casper Ruud, who reached world No. 2 in 2022, worked with the Spanish champion himself in Manacor in 2018. The Norwegian won his first Masters 1000 in Madrid in 2025.
He also played three Grand Slam finals (Roland-Garros 2022 and 2023, US Open 2022). Ruud spoke humorously about his experience at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where he regularly trained with Nadal: “We played practice sets at the academy. Honestly, he beat me often. Some matches were close. But, you know, it was his academy, I wanted to be nice and let him win.”
Christian Ruud, his father and coach, explains how his son joined the academy: “When Casper was a teenager, Carlos Costa approached me during Roland-Garros. He asked if I wanted Casper to come to the academy for a trial. It was a big decision for us. We are happy we made that choice and that we have such strong ties with them.”
Ranked in the top 40 at the end of 2025, Jaume Munar was also developed by the Rafa Nadal Academy. The Spaniard was able to take advantage of his compatriot’s facilities at a time when he started performing well on the Challenger Tour, specifically in 2018.
Eala, Landaluce, Ivanov, Korneeva: Junior Grand Slam winners
Considered the future of the ATP and WTA tours, Alexandra Eala, Martin Landaluce, Ivan Ivanov and Alina Korneeva are also students of the Rafa Nadal Academy. The year 2025 was a breakout season on the main tour for the Philippine player, who had won the US Open Juniors in 2022.
Granted a wildcard by the organizers of the WTA 1000 in Miami, the 20-year-old left-hander reached the last four after victories over Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, Paula Badosa and Iga Swiatek. Only Jessica Pegula ended her run at the doorstep of the final.
Martin Landaluce is a Spanish player tipped for a big career. Ranked No. 134 in the world on December 15, 2025, he won the US Open Juniors in 2022 and qualified at age 19 for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time in his career in 2025.
While he may soon break into the top 100, the Madrid native can in any case follow the example of Carlos Alcaraz. As mentioned above, the Spaniard went through the Rafa Nadal Academy at the same age as Landaluce.
For his part, Ivan Ivanov has been training at the Spanish champion’s academy since 2021. The Bulgarian may already be the heir to Grigor Dimitrov, who also won major tournaments in the junior categories. Born in 2008, he captured both Wimbledon and the US Open Juniors in 2025.
Finally, Alina Korneeva was spotted in December 2025 training with Rafael Nadal himself. The young Russian has won two Junior Grand Slams: the Australian Open (against Mirra Andreeva) and Roland-Garros in 2023. As we can see, the Rafa Nadal Academy identifies and develops some of the likely future icons of tennis.
THE RAFA NADAL ACADEMY, A SPORTS MODEL BASED ON EXCELLENCE
The Rafa Nadal Academy is establishing itself as a true model in the tennis world, combining sporting excellence with educational training. By offering state-of-the-art infrastructure and high-quality supervision, it allows young talents to flourish and express their full potential.
The academy does not just prepare its students to become champions; it also equips them with a complete skill set that is essential for their future. The opening of new complexes around the world reflects Rafael Nadal’s ambition to share his passion for tennis and his expertise with the next generation of players from all over the globe.
This dynamic of expansion is not limited to athlete development alone. It also contributes to the spread of sporting values on a global scale. In the future, it could become a model to follow for other sports, promoting a human-centered approach to youth training.
Respect, teamwork and resilience are at the heart of the process. By continuing to nurture talents like Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud and others, the academy demonstrates its ability to unearth the circuit’s future stars and inspires entire generations to pursue their dreams.
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