Nadal: ‘A great satisfaction’ to host Challenger event at Academy

Before Rafael Nadal was a household name on the ATP Tour, claiming 92 tour-level titles and rising to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the Spaniard used the ATP Challenger Tour as a springboard to stardom, capturing two trophies at that level as a teenager in 2003.

Now aged 38, the lefty has welcomed the ATP Challenger Tour to his home base, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, since 2018. Routinely held the first week of the US Open, the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar has featured a host of well-known players in its short stint.

“I am really happy,” Nadal reflected in Spanish. “Over the years, we have had incredible tennis players like Andy Murray [in 2019] and Marin Cilic [in 2024], as well as other great players. As organisers, having the ability to organise a Challenger here at the academy is an important step forward and it is a great satisfaction that the players are leaving very happy and grateful.”

Credit: Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar

Nobody left this year’s edition happier than Croatian Duje Ajdukovic, the 23-year-old who was crowned champion Sunday. Earlier in the tournament, Ajdukovic beat countryman and former World No. 3 Marin Cilic, who was competing in his first event since February. Last year's titlist Hamad Medjedovic went on to win the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF three months later.

Boasting picturesque views on the island of Mallorca, the world-class venue hosted more than 8,000 fans throughout the week.

“I think that since the first year people have responded very well and seeing the court with a very good attendance shows that the event is having success at a social level, thanks also to all the activities that are organised around the tournament,” Nadal said.

“I think that all of us who are here and are a part of the academy are excited because it is the tournament in which we receive the best players and the reality is that we try to live up to it. And from what it seems, the players leave happy, and this is very important for us and gives us energy and enthusiasm to continue growing.”

Champions of the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar

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