Isha Sesay
BEFORE jetting off to Monte Carlo to embark on the clay court tour, Spain’s golden boy, Rafael Nadal, made a visit to assess the ongoing construction at his Mallorca academy.
For months, work has been underway at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in Manacor where an innovative new sports facility is being added to the grounds.
During his visit, the sporting hero had the opportunity to inspect the building which will house three indoor hard courts and seven covered clay courts as well as dedicated spaces for physical preparation, physiotherapy, psychology, nutrition and sports medicine.
Nadal has been very involved in the decision-making of this exciting expansion and has expressed his hopes that the academy will become a benchmark for sports worldwide.
“We already had high-quality facilities, but I believe that when the expansion is finished, we’ll have a centre that will represent a decisive leap in quality,” said Nadal.
At present, 140 players are enrolled full-time in the academy, combining their academic studies with training.
Last year, the Mallorcan born star has had a very successful year despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Sant Llorenc des Cardassar, the epicentre of the downpours, also declared Nadal as the municipality’s adoptive son after he joined thousands of local volunteers to deal with the immediate aftermath of the storm, including cleaning up streets ravaged by mud.
Last year, Nadal was also handed a Silver Medal from the Guardia Civil for his impressive off-court heroics to help the country’s youth.
The tennis legend had joined the force’s programme to train up young people on the potential dangers of cyberspace and was recognised for his ‘selfless support’ throughout the project.
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