Nadal to play exhibition at his academy next month
Rafael Nadal will return to the court next month for a series of exhibition matches at his tennis academy, his first appearance before a crowd since retiring from professional tennis in November 2024.
Rafael Nadal, 2026 | © Alterpsorts / PsNewz
Rafael Nadal will return to the court next month for a series of exhibition matches at his tennis academy, his first appearance before a crowd since retiring from professional tennis in November 2024.
The Rafa Nadal Academy said on Wednesday that the 22-time Grand Slam champion will take part in the “Rafa Nadal Academy Slam” on Saturday, October 3rd, playing alongside what it described as some of the sport’s biggest names. The matches, beginning at 5 p.m. local time, will open celebrations marking the academy’s 10th anniversary.
Nadal will share the court with rivals and friends from his career, the academy said. The participating players and ticketing details will be announced in the coming days, it added, with places limited by the capacity of the academy’s center court. The event will be broadcast live on Movistar Plus.
Guest list in the coming days
The 40-year-old Spaniard retired after the Davis Cup Finals in Málaga in November 2024, ending a career that brought 22 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record 14 at the French Open, an Olympic singles gold medal and 209 weeks at No. 1 in the world.
The academy, in his home town of Manacor on the island of Mallorca, opened in 2016 and trains young players from around the world while allowing them to continue their studies. The organization said the anniversary event would highlight the methodology and values that shaped Nadal’s career.
The exhibition does not signal a competitive return. Nadal told CNBC in June that he would not come back to professional tennis, even after Serena Williams ended her own retirement, saying he had turned his focus to the academy. He made a one-off appearance at the “Night of Legends” exhibition at the Australian Open in February.
Details of who will join Nadal in Manacor are expected to draw the most attention when the academy names its guest list in the coming days.
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