Ukraine is going through very difficult times, the whole country being in a devastating situation. For this reason, the NGO Llevant en Marxa and the Rafa Nadal Foundation have joined forces to collect food for the families who need it most.

The aim is to collect the food most in demand by families, such as tinned chickpeas, lentils, boiled beans and tomato. They also need condensed and powdered milk and baby food in hermetically sealed glass jars. Children are particularly vulnerable and therefore one of the groups that suffer most from this situation of need.

The collection will take place from 16 to 28 March, when the convoy will leave Mallorca for Catalonia by boat. From there, with the help of staff from Manacor, it will travel by lorry to the Ukrainian border with Slovakia where it will be stored in a warehouse and delivered personally to Ukrainian families by a team of Ukrainian staff. At all times we will be supervising the distribution to ensure all the food reaches those it is intended for.  

In collaboration with the Rafa Nadal Foundation and the NGO Llevant en Marxa, and with the aim of supporting this important cause, two collection points have been set up and will be open until the 28th of March:

-          Rafa Nadal Club Reception

-          Reception of the Rafa Nadal International School / Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar

In addition, the full proceeds from the purchase of tickets to the Rafa Nadal Museum in the second half of the month will go towards the purchase of food for this cause.

The Rafa Nadal Foundation has been working for ten years with the firm conviction that sport and education are tools for change with which we can achieve a better world. If you would like to know more about a major part of this great family, you can do so through their website: www.fundacionrafanadal.org or by subscribing to their newsletter.

 Thank you all very much for your generosity!

Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar player Alex Eala has become the first player born in 2005 to win a professional title. After winning the ITF by LG in Manacor, the young Filipina reflects on her 2021 start and her future goals.

At just 15 years of age, Filipino player Alex Eala has won her first professional title in Manacor after beating the Mallorcan Yvone Cavalle 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in the final of the “ITF by LG” tournament. The young player coached at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar overcame her opponent’s age advantage to turn the scoreboard around and prevent Cavalle (28) from winning her seventh ITF title.

Having reached world number two in the junior rankings in 2020, Alexandra Eala reached her first ITF final this week, leaving in her wake Italian player Ana Paradisi, first seed Seone Mendez, fifth favourite Carole Monnet and, in the semi-finals, Hong Kong player Adithya Karunaratine.

After winning the Junior Australian Open in doubles and reaching the semi-finals of the Junior French Open, Eala has now won the most important title of her career a few months after turning professional. Under the watchful eye of Gabriel Urpy, ex-coach of Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario and Conchita Martínez and currently head of women’s tennis at the academy, and Matilde Muñoz (who is responsible for Eala’s daily work at the Academy), Alex produced outstanding tennis throughout the week, beating higher-ranked and older opponents.

Spanish Fed Cup captain Anabel Medina, who was present all week following the Spanish players, had the honour of presenting the champion and runner-up with their trophies.

Over the coming weeks both Eala and Cavalle will have another opportunity to reach a final in Manacor, as the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar will play host to another two international ITF tournaments.

The second international men’s ITF World Tennis Tour by LG tournament held at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar ended with victory for French player Evan Furness.

Having lost both finals, he reached in 2020 to Carlos Alcaraz, the Frenchman has flown out of the blocks in 2021, reaching the final last week, where he eventually lost to the Swiss Antoine Bellier.

Not one to be discouraged, Furness produced a spectacular second week, cruising past Peter Heller, Stefano Napolitano and Sadio Doumbia and beating the German Tobias Simon in the semis. Under the Manacor sun, on his fourth attempt, Furness finally took the title by beating 17-year-old Danish promise, Holger Rune (junior French Open champion in 2019­) 6-2 5-7 6-0.

A big turnout from French competitors at the tournament also translated into a 7-5 4-6 [10-7] victory in the doubles for Matteo Martineau and Arthur Reymond over the duo formed by German player Peter Heller and the Belgian Jeroen Vanneste.

Next month, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar will become the epicentre of professional tennis in Spain as it hosts another three women’s ITF tournaments. In addition, Manacor will welcome some of tennis’ young guns when it hosts the ITF Junior tournament from 8 to 14 February.