Rafael Nadal will open a new tennis complex in Bahrain, the Rafa Nadal Academy has announced, days after he reunited with Andy Murray at the academy's 10th-anniversary celebrations in Mallorca.
The 22-time Major champion already operates tennis centres in Greece, Mexico and Kuwait. The new facility, to be located in Amwaj Islands, will be the institution's ninth worldwide and will feature six indoor and outdoor tennis courts, three padel courts, fitness and recovery areas, a sports shop, and a cafe.
Academy expansion
A press release said: "The Rafa Nadal Academy continues to expand its global network of sports centres with the forthcoming opening of the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center Bahrain."
It added: "Located in Amwaj Islands, the new centre will be the institution's ninth worldwide and will be developed in collaboration with HARVE, a company backed by Infracorp that specialises in developing and managing hospitality, leisure and lifestyle projects."
Anniversary exhibition
Earlier this month, Nadal and Murray, both retired former world No. 1s, captained rival teams during the inaugural Rafa Nadal Academy Slam in Manacor. Carlos Moya, Dominic Thiem and Marat Safin were among the players in the squads, with Team Nadal beating Team Murray.
Members of both teams alternated to form doubles pairs, competing in 10-point tiebreaks. During one tie, Nadal and Richard Gasquet beat Murray and Safin 10-0. With the scores level at 3-3, the title was decided by a standard seven-point tiebreak, which Nadal and Moya won 7-5 against Murray and Fabio Fognini.
Mutual respect
Murray praised his old rival after the match. "Thank you all for the atmosphere today, and thank you, Rafa, for inviting me. You have an incredible place here, all the children are incredibly fortunate to train somewhere like this," he said.
Nadal replied by suggesting a rematch on the golf course. "Thank you for those words, Andy. Perhaps next time we can hold a golf event, so you'll have a chance. I know you're practising a lot, quite a bit more than I am, so perhaps the next Nadal Academy Slam can be golf," he joked.
Since retiring at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, Nadal has barely touched a racket. He enjoyed a hit with Alex Eala at his Mallorcan academy last year and led his team to victory during this month's exhibition. Murray and Thiem trained at the academy during their careers, and Iga Swiatek spent time there earlier this year. Alex Eala, Casper Ruud and Coleman Wong are among the academy alumni, and Roger Federer's children have also trained at the facility.
