The beautiful Spanish island of Mallorca is known for its beaches, resorts, mountains, and heritage. Additionally, it is also the home of Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest Spanish athletes ever. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has achieved all the great honors in the sport. Moreover, he also holds a record 13 French Open titles, a feat nobody else has achieved in the Open era.
Rafael Nadal inaugurated his own tennis training academy five years ago in the town of Manacor in his home city, Mallorca. This is where the Spaniard intends to turn his full attention after his retirement and it’s already one of the best sporting facilities in the world.
What is the price to train like Rafael Nadal?
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The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar charges junior athletes upwards of $62,000 per year. The academy has a highly trained and decorated coaching staff. In fact, the coaching is done under Rafael Nadal’s former coach and uncle Toni Nadal himself, who’s the Head of Academy. Former Spanish World No. 1 Carlos Moya, too, is at the academy, as the tennis director.
Rafael Nadal‘s tennis academy, through its annual programs, aims to maximize the potential of every young athlete that comes through its doors. Additionally, towards the end of their programs, athletes also have the option to continue academic training. The academy helps them apply for scholarships at top US universities.
The academy is in the hometown of Rafael Nadal
Clearly, the first place for Rafael Nadal to open his tennis academy would have been his hometown of Mallorca, Spain. In fact, the academy is in the same town that Nadal was born in. It is in the town of Manacor, which is a part of Mallorca Island.
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At the inauguration of his academy in 2016, Rafael Nadal explained the decision to situate his tennis academy right in his town. “I really don’t imagine myself living anywhere other than Majorca. This is part of my future. Sport, in general, is my passion, and creating a tennis academy here is the most important part of that for me,” the Spaniard shared.
Rafa Nadal opens his tennis academy for those affected by the Mallorca flood disasterhttps://t.co/eLknOm5tG6
— AS English (@English_AS) October 10, 2018
Summer camp at the Rafa Nadal Academy
The Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca offers several programs for children. Apart from the most popular Summer Camp, there are four other available offers. Namely, the Easter, Winter, Christmas, and High-Performance Camps.
17-year-old Leo Borg, Björn’s son leaves The Royal Tennis Club of Stockholm to train at Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, said Rickard Billing, who has been coaching Leo for last 7 years (source Expressen).
— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) April 22, 2020
Not only does the academy offer a Summer tennis camp, but it also provides a Language-and-Sport camp. The Summer Camp allows children aged between 8 and 18 to train June through August at Rafael Nadal’s academy. Additionally, the Language-and-Sport Camp includes linguistic classes for athletes wishing to improve their command of English or Spanish.
World-class facilities at the Rafa Nadal Academy
Rafael Nadal has ensured that his academy has state-of-the-art facilities. Firstly, it is the tennis courts themselves that take center stage. The academy has a whopping nineteen hard courts for training. Moreover, there are also seven clay courts and one indoor court.
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Furthermore, there are also 7 padel tennis courts, which help with reflex training for the main game, along with two indoor squash courts.
The academy also ensures the holistic development of its young athletes. Firstly, it has an international school to help aid the kids’ linguistic and academic growth. Secondly, it also has a big players’ gymnasium to increase their overall fitness levels.
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Of course, what would the state-of-the-art academy be without an equally good restaurant? Rafael Nadal’s tennis academy has one of the healthiest restaurants in all of Mallorca. Moreover, it cares for the dietary and nutritional needs of its customers and athletes.
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