Rafael Nadal returns to court for 10th anniversary academy exhibition in Manacor
Rafael Nadal plays his first public tennis match since November 2024, captaining a four-man team against Andy Murray at his Manacor academy on Saturday.
Exhibition in Manacor
Rafael Nadal returns to the tennis court on Saturday, 3 October 2026, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Mallorca. The exhibition event, titled the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam, brings together eight former tour competitors for an afternoon of doubles play before a live crowd. Television coverage begins on Movistar+ at 16:30 Spanish peninsular time, with the broadcast scheduled to run until 19:00. Prior to the start of play at 17:00, Spanish singer David Bisbal will perform for spectators gathered at the academy grounds. The event is the first time Nadal has competed in a public tennis match since concluding his professional career in late 2024.
Team rosters and match format
The competition divides the eight invited players into two squads captained by multi-time Grand Slam champions. Nadal leads Team Nadal, an outfit consisting of his former Davis Cup teammates Carlos Moyá and David Ferrer alongside French veteran Richard Gasquet. Facing them is Team Murray, captained by Andy Murray and featuring Dominic Thiem, Marat Safin, and Fabio Fognini. The program consists of four doubles fixtures played with a super tie-break system. This format compresses match lengths, creates high-leverage points quickly, and gives each of the eight participants court time in varied doubles pairings.
Nadal's path from retirement
The Manacor tournament takes place nearly two years after Nadal retired from professional tennis in November 2024, when Spain faced the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. That exit concluded a career containing 22 Grand Slam singles titles and followed two seasons hampered by chronic injuries. In 2022, Nadal won both the Australian Open and Roland Garros despite severe foot pain, before an abdominal tear forced him out of the Wimbledon semifinals. After stepping away from competitive touring, Nadal spent months away from the racket to focus on his family and business enterprises. In recent months, he resumed hitting sessions on the Manacor courts, practicing directly with academy students.
- Nadal wins the Australian Open and Roland Garros before an abdominal injury halts his season at Wimbledon
- Nadal plays his final professional match at the Davis Cup quarterfinals against the Netherlands
- Nadal returns to public play for the Rafa Nadal Academy 10th anniversary exhibition in Manacor
Rivalries and tributes
The exhibition format revisits decades of tour rivalries and Spanish team successes. Moyá and Ferrer anchored Spanish tennis alongside Nadal during multiple Davis Cup campaigns, while Gasquet contested numerous tour matches against Nadal starting in their junior years. Across the net, Murray, Thiem, Safin, and Fognini bring a combined collection of Grand Slam and tour titles to the opposing team. Roger Federer is not attending the gathering in Mallorca, but he recently expressed his respect for Nadal when discussing their past partnership at the Laver Cup.
I thought my wife was my favorite doubles partner until this guy showed up, who took the spot.
Action at the Manacor academy concludes on Saturday evening after the completion of all four doubles contests.
