Rafael Nadal recently hosted an awards night at his academy as a part of the 2023 Christmas festivities.
Rafael Nadal launched his tennis academy in his hometown, Manacor, in 2016. Since the inauguration, several athletes who trained at the center went on to become top players in the sport. Former World No. 2 Casper Ruud and former World No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime are two such examples.
Also located within the premises is the International School, which has graduated up-and-coming players such as Jordan’s breakout star Abdullah Shelbayh, as well as 2022 US Open boys’ and girls’ champions Martin Landaluce and Alexandra Eala, respectively.
The Spaniard’s academy has often served as the base for top-ranked players during the off season, too. Just this month, ahead of competitive return, Rafael Nadal was spotted practicing with his long-term rival Richard Gasquet. World No. 69 Emiil Ruusuvuori and World No. 25 Jan-Lennard Struff were two other players who shared the court with the former World No. 1.
To celebrate his academy’s achievements and recognize his staff members’ efforts, Nadal hosted an awards night over Christmas. Pictures from the event were shared on social media, in which the employees were captured having a jolly good time.
Alongside the 22-time Grand Slam champion, his sister Maribel, who works in the marketing and sales department, also made an appearance. Dressed in all black, the 34-year-old posed with her colleagues for pictures.
