Rafa Nadal, a special spectator at the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar tournament

29.08.2025

RNA Editorial.

The Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar, an ATP Challenger Tour tournament being held this week at the Rafa Nadal Academy, is reaching the final stretch of its seventh edition with great attendance success. Rafa Nadal himself didn’t want to miss it — yesterday he enjoyed the tournament like any other fan in the stands.

Rafa closely followed the comeback staged by Dani Rincon (a player developed at the Academy) against Britain’s Hamish Stewart:: “It’s great for the Academy to see players of this level. Playing here at the facilities is good for the kids who train here and also for all the people who work year-round at the facilities and who live tennis. Having a tournament of this caliber here is exciting for everyone,” commented Rafa.

The third day of the tournament, which runs until Sunday, August 31 at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar , also saw the elimination of the top seed, Otto Virtanen, who was defeated by Britain’s Hamish Stewart (6-3, 6-3), who came from the qualifying round.

Rafa didn’t miss a single detail of Dani Rincón’s (a player trained at the academy) comeback against Britain’s Hamish Stewart: “It’s great for the Academy to see players of this level. Playing here at the facilities is good for the kids who train here and also for all the people who work year-round at the facilities and who enjoy tennis. Having a tournament of this caliber here is exciting for everyone,” commented Rafa.

Rafa also wanted to highlight the importance of the ATP Challenger Tour in the context of international tennis: “It’s the step prior to the circuit that the general public watches on television. In fact, many of the players who are playing this type of tournament combine it with top-level tournaments. The Challengers and ITF tournaments are what help you develop as a tennis player before becoming a standout.”

The 22 Grand Slam titles champion,who early in his career won Challenger titles in El Espinar and Barletta, praised Spain’s commitment to hosting this type of event:
“The fact that Spain has invested for so many years in ITF events and is now focusing on expanding the number of Challengers is fantastic news. It allows Spanish players with limited resources to keep improving and competing at a high level without having to travel to the other side of the world. It’s a huge advantage, and something Spain has done really well.”

The Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar is being played at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar until August 31, with free entry for all fans. Previous champions include Duje Ajdukovic (2024), Hamad Medjedovic (2023), Luca Nardi (2022), Lukas Lacko (2021), Emil Ruusuvuori (2019), and Bernard Tomic (2018).