Rafa Nadal Academy Slam: Nadal and Murray Meet Again in Manacor This Saturday

The Rafa Nadal Academy Slam takes place on Saturday 3 October at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, with Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray captaining two teams of former champions in a doubles exhibition marking the Academy's tenth anniversary. It is Nadal's first match in front of a crowd since he retired in November 2024.

For anyone living in Mallorca, this is one of those days that reminds you how closely the island is tied to the sport. Nadal grew up in Manacor, built his academy there, and has never really left. Now he is bringing some of the biggest names of his generation back to his home town for an afternoon that is part tennis match, part celebration.

What the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam Is

The event is the centrepiece of the Academy's tenth anniversary celebrations. The Rafa Nadal Academy opened in Manacor in 2016, and ten years on it has become one of the best-known tennis training centres in the world, with its own museum, residence and international programme.

Rather than a single showpiece match, the organisers have put together a team competition. Nadal and Murray each captain a side of four players, and the teams meet in a doubles format built around competition, entertainment and a few surprises along the way. The idea came from Nadal himself, who invited Murray in a video posted on the Academy's social channels, suggesting that each of them bring a few friends for a team contest at the Academy.

The Line-Up: Team Rafa and Team Murray

Team Murray is complete. Alongside Andy Murray, the former world number one and three-time Grand Slam champion, the side includes:

• Dominic Thiem: US Open champion, former world number three and winner of 17 ATP titles.
• Marat Safin: former world number one, winner of the 2000 US Open and the 2005 Australian Open, and a key part of Russia's Davis Cup wins in 2002 and 2006.
• Fabio Fognini: former world number nine, winner of the 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters and the 2015 Australian Open doubles title with Simone Bolelli.

Team Rafa currently has two confirmed players: Nadal himself and Richard Gasquet. The Frenchman is a former world number seven with 16 ATP titles, a Davis Cup winner with France in 2017 and an Olympic doubles bronze medallist from London 2012. There is a nice story behind his selection too. Nadal and Gasquet first played each other as 12-year-olds at the Les Petits As junior tournament, and more than three decades later they line up on the same side of the net.

The Academy has said the final two members of Team Rafa will be announced in the coming days, completing the eight-player line-up. We will update this article once the names are confirmed.

Nadal and Murray, Ten Years On

Nadal and Murray last faced each other more than ten years ago, in the semi-finals of the 2016 Madrid Open. Across their careers they met in many of the biggest tournaments in the sport, part of a generation that also included Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Murray already knows his way around Manacor. This is his third visit to the Academy: he trained there in 2016 and returned in 2019 to play in the Rafa Nadal Open, the Challenger tournament held at the Academy each summer.

Schedule for Saturday 3 October

The day runs from mid-afternoon until midnight, and the tennis is only part of it:

• 14:30: gates open, with food, activities and entertainment around the venue.
• 16:00: on-court exhibitions and challenges begin.
• 17:00: the team match between Team Rafa and Team Murray starts.
• Evening: food trucks and entertainment continue until midnight, closing with a performance by an international artist whose name the organisers have yet to announce.

Tickets and How to Watch

Tickets were sold through the Academy's official website and are listed there as sold out. The ticket covers access to the venue and all the day's activities, including the exhibition match.

If you did not get a ticket, the team match is being broadcast live on Movistar Plus, so you can still watch Nadal back on court from home, or from one of the many bars around the southwest that show live sport.

Making a Day of It in Manacor

If you are heading over from the southwest, the Academy sits on the edge of Manacor, on the other side of the island from Santa Ponsa and Calvià. Manacor itself is worth a wander, with its big parish church, its long tradition of furniture making and artificial pearls, and a good choice of places to eat. The coast at Porto Cristo is a short drive away if you want to finish the day by the sea.

The Academy also houses the Rafa Nadal Museum, which tells the story of his career alongside other great moments in sport. We covered the complex in more detail in our guide to the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor. For the latest official news on the event itself, see the Rafa Nadal Academy news page.

Why It Matters for Mallorca

Events like this put Mallorca in front of a global sporting audience in the shoulder season, when the island is at its most comfortable. Warm October afternoons, quieter roads and a calendar full of sport and culture are a big part of why so many of our clients choose to live here year-round rather than just for the summer.

Tennis in particular runs deep on the island. Between the Academy in Manacor, the Mallorca Championships and a busy local club scene, there is always a court and a game within reach, whether you live in the east or here in the southwest.

Thinking About a Home in Mallorca?

If days like this are part of the reason you are drawn to the island, we would be happy to help you find the right home. Imperial Properties has been a family-run agency in Santa Ponsa since 1985, and we work in English, German and Spanish.

Browse our latest properties for sale across Mallorca, call or WhatsApp us on +34 971 692 434, message us on WhatsApp, or email help@imperial-properties.com. If you are thinking of selling, you can request a free property valuation.