The world No 6 opened the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in his home of Manacor five years ago, with dozens of parents sending their tennis protégée children to train with the coaches there, while the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime and and Roberto Bautista Agut have also visited for a training block.
When the academy opened its doors back in 2016, Nadal and Federer had also both found themselves injured and sidelined from tennis, as the Swiss joined his friend and rival for the official opening ceremony, with the two hitting a ball back-and-forth in ‘mini-tennis’ while they were unable to play properly.
Fast-forward to 2021 and the pair have ended up in similar situations once again with injuries, while the Academy has gone on to become the focus of a brand new documentary series by Movistar.
Federer made a surprise appearance in the first episode as he spoke of the training centre, giving his verdict on whether he’d send his own children there.
