Rafa Nadal to open tennis centre at the Hotel Don Carlos in Marbella

Marbella is to be home to a new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center, located at the Hotel Don Carlos, which is scheduled to reopen this summer after refurbishment. The initiative is part of the expansion project launched by the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in 2018. There is also the possibility of a similar facility in Malaga at the Inaqua sports complex.

The new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Marbella will consist of seven clay courts, available for players of all ages and levels. The aim is to offer high-quality tennis training and personalised programmes to all guests. The facility will also have two padel courts overlooking the sea and a Nike and Babolat shop. A small exhibition showcasing some of the trophies Rafa Nadal has won throughout his career will be open to visitors.

“I am very happy that we are officially announcing the launch of a new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Marbella, as it consolidates our expansion project within Spain. I am sure that sports fans will really enjoy our programmes at these magnificent facilities,” said Nadal himself in a press statement.

The tennis champion is a regular at the Costa del Sol town, where he frequently plays golf.

Albert Tomas, CEO of Selenta Group, which manages the Hotel Don Carlos, stated that the launch of these high-quality sports facilities complements the reopening of the hotel and strengthens their “commitment to offering unique experiences to the guest”.

Meanwhile, whether a Rafa Nadal Tennis Center will open in Malaga city as well depends on the awarding of the contract for the project that the city council will draw up, once Ferrovial, which was awarded the 20-year contract to run the Inacua Centro de Raqueta, has withdrawn. This bid comes from the Marbella developer Sierra Blanca.

Rafa Nadal Tennis Centers were created as a complementary initiative to the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in its main centre - Mallorca. They feature tennis complexes located in high-class holiday resorts in top national and international destinations.

The Hotel Don Carlos facility will be the fourth Rafa Nadal Tennis Center. The previous three are located in Costa Mujeres (Mexico), Sani (Greece) and Hong Kong.

They complement the two academies located in Manacor and Kuwait and the Rafa Nadal Tennis Program recently implemented in Egypt.