Just In: Rafael Nadal confirmed to play first match since retirement against former ‘rivals’
Rafael Nadal has largely kept away from tennis since retiring from the sport he dominated for nearly two decades.
Nadal, who retired at the Davis Cup in 2022, has only briefly returned to tennis, although he is yet to play even an exhibition match since hanging up his racket.
The Spaniard, who detailed his incredible career in a Netflix documentary earlier this year, is now set to play a tennis tournament at his Academy.
In a celebration of the esteemed academy’s tenth anniversary, Nadal has been confirmed to play ‘a series of exhibition matches’ in Manorca on Saturday, October 3rd.
The King of Clay’s opponents are yet to be announced, but a press release teases the Spaniard could be playing ‘alongside some of the sport’s biggest names’ and if there is anyone who can attract the top players, it is Nadal.
It will mark the first time Nadal has played in front of a live audience since he played for Spain in the 2024 Davis Cup and ticket sale details are set to be announced in the coming days.
The Rafael Nadal Academy was set up in 2016, when Nadal was still at the heart of his career, and it has been the breeding ground for some of the very best players on the ATP and WTA Tours.
Alexandra Eala trained at the Manacor academy and even met her coach, Joan Bosch, while learning the tricks of her trade. Eala returned to the Academy ahead of this year’s European clay court swing and she even practised alongside former world No 1 Iga Swiatek.
The likes of Casper Ruud, Jaume Munar, Solana Sierra, and Coleman Wong have also trained at the Academy and gone on to have big success on the ATP and WTA Tours.
In recent years, the Rafael Nadal Academy has branched out into several different cities all around the world. As of 2026, the Academy also has bases in Manacor, Costa Mujeres, Greece, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Marbella, Egypt, and Punta Cana, so it is a real force in the sport.
Nadal has ruled out working as a full-time coach for a player in the professional game, but he is still clearly doing his bit for the next generation of tennis stars, and the Rafael Nadal Academy Slam will surely highlight all of the good work the Spaniard has done in the last decade.
Fans who cannot attend the Spanish event will be able to watch the Rafael Nadal Academy Slam on Movistar Plus, so it is set to be a high-profile event for the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
