The docuseries “Rafa Nadal Academy” has received the 2022 Iris Award from the Television Academy
The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar has been given the best possible gift to celebrate its sixth anniversary after finding out that the Television Academy has awarded one of the 2022 Iris Awards to “Rafa Nadal Academy” (Movistar Plus+ and Prime Video) “for showing, through a well-realised documentary series, the hard work and determination of these young people in pursuit of their dream. For transmitting the great values of the Mallorcan tennis player through the daily life of one of the world’s leading education and high-performance sports centres”.
The Iris Awards were established in 2016 to recognise, among the various crafts in television, programmes and professionals who have stood out during the television season.
The 4-episode mini documentary series, which premiered on Movistar+ and Prime Video, shows the methodology used every day to coach the young players at the Mallorcan academy. Throughout the four episodes, we can see the progress of some of the academy’s most promising players during four months’ training, following the training methodology that has led to the amazing achievements of Rafa Nadal during his career. This project, which was inaugurated by Rafa Nadal in 2016, was born with the goal of educating through sport by means of academic programmes that positively affect human development and the comprehensive education of the young players who descend on Manacor from every corner of the planet. The docuseries seeks to reflect how the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar combines high-performance sports coaching and school education in order to produce excellent tennis players and people that do great things for society, following the inspirational values of Rafa himself.
The committee responsible for deliberating the 2022 Iris Awards was formed by the Academy’s Talent Awards professionals: Pilar Blasco, Seli Martínez and Felipe Mellizo and members of the Academy’s Board of Directors: Beatriz Maesso, Jota Abril and Joana Carrión.
The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar boasts a world-class sporting infrastructure so that all players, children and adults alike, can enjoy a comprehensive experience. Following its expansion, the Academy now has 45 tennis courts, 17 padel courts, 3 swimming pools and a medical centre with areas designed for fitness training, physiotherapy, psychology, nutrition and sports medicine, which allow the centre to offer a comprehensive service to all the players, thanks to the synergy with Quirón Salud. However, the secret to the success of the Academy lies in the quality of the coaching team, which is directed by Toni Nadal, and in the academic teaching and values that are instilled every day at the international American school (Rafa Nadal School) located on the premises. Thanks to its continuous growth, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar was recognised at the National Sports Awards, where it received the prestigious Joaquim Blume Award, which was first given in 1959 in recognition of the teaching centre that has particularly stood out for its work in promoting and fostering sport. It is the first time in its history that a tennis academy has been granted the award.
