Andy Murray, first player confirmed for the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam

Former World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray will captain the team that will take on Rafa Nadal’s side on 3 October at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor as part of the Academy’s 10th Anniversary celebrations.

Rafa Nadal himself revealed the first player confirmed for the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam in a video posted on the Academy’s social media channels.

In the video, Rafa personally invites Murray to return to the Academy in Mallorca. “I know you’ve been practising a lot, almost like a professional. I can’t practise as much as you, but I think I can still be competitive,” Rafa jokes before putting forward the idea that will shape the exhibition: “Maybe you can bring some of your friends and I can bring some of mine, and we can have a team competition here at the Academy to celebrate the 10th Anniversary.”

“It would be fantastic for everyone here at the Academy to welcome you back,” Rafa concludes in his message to Murray.

This will be Murray’s third visit to the Academy, having first visited in 2016 for a training session before returning in 2019 to compete at the Rafa Nadal Open. The Scot will serve as captain of Team Murray, which will take on Team Rafa in an event that will bring two of the leading figures from one of the most significant generations in tennis history back together on court.

Rafa and Murray will meet on court again more than ten years after their last encounter, which came in the semi-finals of the 2016 Mutua Madrid Open. Throughout their careers, they produced numerous memorable battles at some of the biggest tournaments on the tour, and they will now share the spotlight once again in a very different setting: the celebration of the Rafa Nadal Academy’s first ten years. The remaining members of Team Rafa and Team Murray will be announced over the coming days.

The Rafa Nadal Academy Slam will take centre stage on a day designed to celebrate a decade of a project that, since opening in Manacor in 2016, has welcomed players, families and fans from around the world, united by a passion for sport and the values at the heart of the Academy’s methodology.

The venue will open its doors at 2:30 pm, when attendees will be able to enjoy a range of food options, activities and entertainment. At 4:00 pm, the on-court exhibitions, challenges and a number of surprises featuring special guests will get underway, before the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam begins at 5:00 pm, with Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray leading their respective teams.

The celebrations will continue after the tennis. From 7:30 pm, the Academy will offer a programme of food, food trucks and entertainment that will continue until midnight. To round off the evening, attendees will be treated to an exclusive performance by an international artist, whose identity will be revealed soon.

The Rafa Nadal Academy Slam will mark the start of the Rafa Nadal Academy’s 10th Anniversary celebrations and will also provide the first opportunity to see Rafa Nadal play in front of a crowd since his retirement from professional tennis in November 2024.

Over the past decade, this DNA has also spread far beyond Mallorca. International expansion has been one of the project’s main areas of growth, and it now has eight centres around the world: Manacor, Costa Mujeres, Greece, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Marbella, Egypt and Punta Cana.

It will undoubtedly be a special opportunity to enjoy Rafa’s tennis once again, and to do so in Manacor, at his Academy, the place where his legacy continues to inspire and develop the tennis players of tomorrow.