Nadal, the inspiration behind Andy Murray’s decision to move to Spain as a young tennis player

13.10.2026

ARN Publishing House

Andy Murray has revealed that Rafa Nadal was one of the biggest influences behind a crucial decision early in his tennis career: leaving Scotland and moving to Spain to continue his tennis development.

The former World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion shared the story during a press conference held at the Rafa Nadal Academy as part of its 10th Anniversary celebrations, recalling how a conversation with Rafa when they were both teenagers changed his approach to training.

Murray and Nadal have known each other since childhood, when they were both beginning to make their mark on the international junior circuit. The Briton recalled that Rafa already stood out from other players his age, not only because of his tennis, but also because of his mentality and attitude on court.

It was a conversation between the two about their respective training routines that would ultimately have a lasting impact on the future Wimbledon champion.

““I still remember that. He was the reason I came to train in Spain. When I was 15, I moved to Barcelona to train for two years because I spoke to him at some of those events,” Murray revealed. “, Murray admitted.

The Briton wanted to know what a typical day looked like for Rafa, who was already combining his studies with a demanding training schedule in Mallorca.

“I asked him: ‘What does a week look like for you?’ He told me: ‘I go to school in the morning, then in the afternoon I play tennis for two or three hours. Then I get to practise with Carlos Moyà, who was No. 1 in the world,’” Murray recalled. , Murray recalled.

Nadal’s answer was in stark contrast to Andy’s own training routine back in Scotland.“Then he asked me the same question. I replied: ‘I train for an hour, three times a week, with my mother.’ That’s when I understood that I had to change something,” the Scot explained. “, the Scot explained.

That conversation helped convince Murray to move to Barcelona to continue his tennis development. It would prove to be a crucial period in his progression, paving the way for an extraordinary professional career in which he would reach World No. 1, win three Grand Slam titles and claim two Olympic gold medals in singles.

More than two decades after those early encounters in junior tournaments, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray shared the court once again at the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam, the exhibition event held in Manacor to celebrate the Academy’s 10th Anniversary.