Savva Rybkin (RUS) and Veronika Sekerkova (CZE) are the inaugural 12 & Under Festival champions in both singles and doubles. After several days of bright Mallorcan sunshine, the tournament ended as it began, on the brand‐new indoor courts of the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Unseeded Svit Suljic of Slovenia roared out of the blocks in the boys’ final, holding his first set point after just 23 minutes before Rybkin broke back to claim his only game of the set. Once he was on the scoreboard, the momentum gradually swung in the Russian’s favour and he edged a tight second set 6‐4 to level the match.  The eighth seed continued to enjoy the upper hand in the match tie‐break, eventually claiming the title with a drive volley on his second match point, 10‐8.

The girls’ final between Sekerkova and Serbia’s Luna Vujovic was not as one‐sided as the 6‐1 6‐3 score line might suggest, with the first set alone taking 50 minutes. The players were level until the seventh game of the second set, when Sekerkova scored the decisive break. The Czech player ends her season with a stunning 56‐4 win/loss record, having won a Junior Tour‐leading four Category 1 12 & Under and two Category 3 14 & Under tournaments, in addition to the Festival title.

Both champions returned to the court after their singles wins to add doubles titles. Rybkin teamed with Alexey Frolov to beat Mustafa Ege Sik (TUR) & Leon Sloboda (SVK) for the loss of just two games. Not to be outdone, Sekerkova partnered Sofie Hettlerova to victory over Milla Kotamaeki (FIN) & Kiira Pashkov (EST) by the exact same scoreline, 4‐2 4‐0.

32 boys and 32 girls from a total of 31 Tennis Europe nations were invited to compete at the event based on their results during the 2021 season. The format saw each singles draw divided into 8 round‐robin groups of four players, the winner of each of which progressed to Thursday’s quarter finals. The players received an early taste of life at a professionally run tournament, with live streaming of matches, umpires and even line judges during the latter stages of the tournament.

In addition to showcasing Europe’s finest 12 & Under talent, the event was held in a true festival atmosphere, with a range of off‐court educational and leisure activities taking place each day to keep the players entertained. Amongst the attractions were a visit to the Rafa Nadal Museum, an introduction to the Tennis Europe Junior School, and a Question & Answer session with legendary coach Toni Nadal.

Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl commented, “This has been an unforgettable event for the players and a true season‐ending highlight for the best players of the Junior Tour’s 12 & Under circuit. On behalf of Tennis Europe I’d like to thank our hosts at the Rafa Nadal Academy for their extraordinary efforts to ensure a flawless tournament. The feedback from players, coaches and parents has been extremely positive and we’re already looking forward to the second edition.”

Rafa Nadal sent a message to the players, saying “I’d like to congratulate all of the players that made it to compete here in Manacor. As a former player of Tennis Europe 12 & Under events myself, I remember very well how exciting it feels to play in these first international tournaments. I am happy that the new indoor courts of the academy were used for the first time for this event, and I hope the players enjoyed our facilities and all the activities. Everybody here has been impressed by the positive attitudes and good sportsmanship on court all week. I look forward to following the progress of the players in the future.”

The list of players invited to take part in the inaugural 12 & Under Festival that will take place at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar has been revealed. To qualify for this event players must have won a 12&under Cat. 1 tournament or must at least have been runner up in such a tournament. This means the event brings together the most prolific performers on the Junior Tour for a season-ending singles and doubles competition. The 48 players confirmed so far have combined to win an astonishing 80 singles and 98 doubles titles on the Tour this season.

Leading the girls’ entries are the five players to have won four or more titles: Marilyn van Brempt (BEL), Veronika Sekerkova (CZE), Tamina Kochta (GER), Maia Ilinca Burcescu (ROU) and Anna Pushkareva (RUS). Three boys have achieved the same feat and look sure to feature prominently in the competition; Jou-George Gnjidic (CRO), Mark Ceban (GBR) and Alexey Frolov (RUS).

Acceptance Lists: Boys | Girls | Photo Gallery of Participants

A maximum of 2 boys and 2 girls per nation are allowed and players must travel as Squads with their official Federation coach. 23 European nations are in attendance. Hosted by the Rafa Nadal Academy, the Festival will treat the players to a whole week of sideshows and special events at the famous facility in Manacor, Mallorca.

Schedule

Sunday 14th November: Draw and Coaches Meeting

Monday 15th November: Day 1 singles round robin draw / Opening Ceremony

Tuesday 16th November: Day 2 singles/doubles + Meet&Greet with a professional player / Player Party

Wednesday 17th November: Day 3 singles/doubles + Junior School / Visit to Rafa Nadal Museum

Thursday 18th November: Day 4 singles/doubles + Sports activities

Friday 19th November: Day 5 Doubles Finals, Prize Giving ceremony / guided visit to famous caves

Saturday 20th November: Day 6 Singles Finals – Prize Giving ceremony

The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar opens the month of November by hosting the Kinder Joy of moving Tennis Trophy International Master.

The finals of the 2020 edition, suspended due to the pandemic, and the 2021 edition will be played during this event with the 125 players aged 9 to 12, winners of the national preliminary rounds.

After more than 250 tournaments in 13 countries including Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Romania and Ukraine, with more than 20,000 young tennis players involved, the Kinder Joy of moving Tennis Trophy celebrates its conclusion.

The winners of the national preliminary rounds of the Kinder Joy of moving Tennis Trophy will experience four days of play, fun and socialization, giving their best on the courts, testing their fairness and integrity, and putting into practice the Fair Play code, whose respect is at the foundation of the whole tournament.

The program also includes extra sporting moments such as the visit to the MUSEUM Xperience inside the Academy and the tour of the Caves of Drach in the east coast of Mallorca. At the end of the Master, the Fair Play Trophy will be awarded to the young tennis player and coach who will most distinguish themselves for honesty and sportsmanship.

The claim of this edition was "More than a trophy": the absence of umpires, the attention to fair play, the focus on friendship and relationship, the participation of parents as active players and the many opportunities for fun, on and off the tennis court, are the unique features that makes the Kinder Joy of moving Tennis Trophy much more than a sporting event.

The tournament was invented in Italy in 2006 by the former tennis player Rita Grande in collaboration with Kinder Joy of moving: it has grown over the years helping to promote an active lifestyle among younger generations also at an international level. It represents one of the main initiatives supported by Kinder Joy of moving, because it fully reflects its mission and philosophy, through the promotion of movement as personal and relational growth.

Kinder Joy of moving

Kinder Joy of moving organizes and supports physical education programs in and out of schools, sporting events for children and school competitions with the aim to guarantee that movement is above all a joy for children.

kinderjoyofmoving.com

Kinder Joy of moving operates around the world with high profile, qualified and expert partners, including institutions, ministries, universities, five Olympic Committees, 120 Sporting Federations and Associations, and the ISF (International School Sport Federation).

For more information, visit the official website.

The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar will continue to consolidate its commitment to hosting events and tournaments this November. Having hosted the third edition of the Rafa Nadal Open by Sotheby’s International Realty in September, competition will be back in Manacor with a bang in a year end that will be replete with tournaments whose goal is to continue supporting tennis from grass-roots through to the professional game and offer fans the chance to see both the world’s biggest international stars and promising talents at the Academy. A total of 700 players of different ages and nationalities will be playing on the Academy's courts over the next few weeks.

While the remaining weeks of October will be filled by ITF Senior by Santander and RNA Senior tournaments, which will see the tour’s veteran players compete, November will be a magical month for youth tennis in Mallorca.

The month will kick off with the 2020 Kinder Joy Master tournament, which could not be staged because of the pandemic and will be played simultaneously with the 2021 Kinder Joy Master. With its slogan “Joy of moving”, this tournament promotes the practice of sport and exercise in 28 countries around the world. In its fifth edition, which culminates with the International Master, the event will include the participation of 13 countries.

From 15 to 21 November, the first edition of the “Tennis Europe 12 & Under Festival” will be hosted at the Academy. The tournament will bring together the 32 best under-12 boys and girls on the continent in a round-robin event that will provide us with a glimpse of the best young European talent.

From 22 to 28 November, it will be the turn of the “Ten Pro Global Junior Tour” tournament, which will again bring under-15 year olds to the Academy from around the world in one of the nine events on the international circuit with a unique format that allows every player to play at least 4 matches during their participation.

To cap off a spectacular month, from 29 November to 5 December, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar will open its doors to an under-14 Tennis Europe tournament that will precede an event on prestigious youth circuit the BABOLAT CUP, which will take place from 4 to 8 December.

The wide range of sports and residential facilities at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar provide both elite athletes and amateur tennis players with everything they need to compete in a comfortable environment that is ideal for sport. These sports facilities will soon be expanded even further with the inauguration of the Academy’s extension, which will allow the range of events and tournaments to keep growing in 2022.