Thibaud Hue, with Melanie Faure
After Rafael Nadal’s victory at the Australian Open, Europe 1 set sail for the island of Mallorca in the footsteps of the tennis star, in his native village. In Manacor, the champion opened the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016, a tennis sanctuary for adults and children. A place with many fans.
For player seeds, this is a model. With a record 21st Grand Slam title, Rafael Nadal stands out among the legends of tennis. On Sunday, he won the Australian Open tournament over Russian Daniil Medvedev. Something to make the younger generations dream. Young people, but also adults, for whom Rafael Nadal founded the Rafa Nadal Academy sports complex, on the island of Mallorca. On the program, an intense sports schedule, with tennis, fitness, swimming pool, physio sessions. All this in a luxurious setting, with accommodation and catering.
Tennis courts as far as the eye can see that make its residents dream. “Toni Nadal gives us advice but above all we have Rafa close to us”, maintains a resident. “It’s a real strength of the academy.” At the microphone of Europe 1, he says that everything has been tailor-made. “It’s a very big responsibility for us. We have to offer services that correspond to Rafa’s example, to his figure. The objective is to try to raise the level of those who come there to the height of Rafa’s.”
Fans in the footsteps of “Rafa”
Since its success at the Australian Open, the restaurant terrace has never been empty. There are also many tourists. “We watched this great match on TV yesterday and so today we decided to do the museum, the shop and the terrace to see where he was playing. It’s fantastic.” Because with this XXL sports center, Rafael Nadal has returned to his roots by choosing to set up in Manacor, his hometown. And Rafael Nadal is thinking big: the construction of 10 tennis courts is planned for 2022.