Felix Balshaw is crowned champion of the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar 2026

07.09.2026

ARN Publishing House

France’s Felix Balshaw has inscribed his name as the victor of the eighth edition of the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar after defeating Spain’s Iñaki Montes-De La Torre this Sunday by 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a hard-fought final held on the center court of the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Balshaw had to come back after Montes-De La Torre claimed the first set 6-3. The Frenchman reacted by taking the second set 6-2 and sealed his victory in the third and decisive set 6-3, after one hour and 57 minutes of play.

With his triumph, Felix Balshaw inscribes his name for the first time in the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar roll of honor and becomes the eighth different champion in the eight editions played. The Frenchman thus joins Bernard Tomic (2018), Emil Ruusuvuori (2019), Lukas Lacko (2021), Luca Nardi (2022), Hamad Medjedovic (2023), Duje Ajduković (2024), and Dani Rincón (2025).

“I am very happy. I believed in myself from the first point and I am looking forward to returning to this tournament next year,” Balshaw said during the trophy ceremony, which was attended by Joan Suasi, director of the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar; Maribel Nadal, deputy general director of the Rafa Nadal Academy; and Carmen Sánchez de Medina, Head of Sponsorships at Telefónica.

For his part, Iñaki Montes-De La Torre, who was returning to the tournament after missing the 2025 edition, thanked the public for their support and highlighted both the Academy’s facilities and the level of organization: “For me, it is the best Challenger of the year.”

The final brought to a close an eighth edition that once again gathered young talents and experienced players from the international circuit in Manacor. Among them, the tournament featured significant representation from the Rafa Nadal Academy, with the participation of three junior Grand Slam champions: Dani Rincón, Ivan Ivanov, and Ziga Sesko.

This commitment to talent has accompanied the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar since its creation in 2018. Over its eight editions, players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Andy Murray, Marin Cilic, Fernando Verdasco, and Pablo Andújar have passed through the Academy’s courts, in addition to numerous young players who have subsequently consolidated their positions among the elite of world tennis.