REVIEWING THE RAFAEL NADAL ACADEMY MUSEUM
- Val Febbo
- May 30
- 5 min read

On my recent honeymoon, we decided that the Balearic Island of Mallorca would be one of our destinations, which greatly excited me due to its picturesque beaches, scenic roads, jaw-dropping towns, and the Rafael Nadal Academy Museum.
Situated in Nadal's hometown of Manacor, an hour's drive from our hotel in Magaluf, we set off on the journey with anxiety, driving on the left as opposed to what we are used to in Australia.
I may or may not have forgotten to give way to the left a couple of times…
Nevertheless, we made it, and this shiny new complex comes out of nowhere, and the sense of excitement brews as the enormity of it comes into full view.
I almost skipped with excitement as I walked through the doors of the foyer to be greeted by the shop and the cafe. After a quick review, we proceeded to the desk to collect our tickets.
Once we reached the museum entrance, we were escorted into a hallway that began to flash with LED screens, playing some iconic footage of Nadal and counting down to our introduction to the experience. I must say they did it very well.
The session is split into two stories, one being a series of immersive virtual reality challenges, including tennis, Formula One, football, cycling, basketball, a Hawk-Eye game, a reflex test and an arcade-style game where you pretend you're on a roller coaster.
F1 was first for us, kitted out with Nadal's watch sponsor Richard Mille on the side pods of the simulator.
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The clock was not used, however, as I couldn't control the car and ended up flipping it upside down on the opening lap, onto the next sport.
Football was fun, as was the tennis and roller coaster ride, but they were just the appetiser for what was to come.
After working up a sweat, you move into a room with a showcase of every single model of Babolat racquet that the 22-time major champion used throughout his career in chronological order.

Following that and a bit of basketball, my wife pretty much became my photographer for the next half an hour (thanks, Rach) as we moved downstairs for the main event.
The tennis tragic in me was lost for words as the lights dimmed and I was greeted by 18 of Nadal's shirts, but not just any Nike shirts, they were what he wore in his Grand Slam victories.
Yes, I know there were 22, but I'll get to the other four later. Among the apparel were the famous Australian Open in 2009, Roland-Garros 2005, and US Open 2013 shirts; surreal to see them all next to each other.
As you move further into the room, the jaw drops again as his Grand Slam trophies are all displayed in a mesmerising layout. It captures the sheer supernatural number that Nadal reached and makes one realise the greatness that he achieved throughout his glittering career.
The number of Roland Garros trophies in there never ceases to amaze.
Making our way counterclockwise, all of Nadal's Masters 1000, 500 and 250 trophies were present, as well as the Davis Cups that he amassed throughout his career. A special case is dedicated to his trophy from Sopot in 2004, the first of his 92 ATP titles.
There is much repetition with some of these pieces, including 12 from Barcelona, 11 in Monte Carlo and 10 in Rome, and despite knowing these statistics, there is something about seeing them all together that makes you speechless and reflect on just how incredible his career was.
His Laureus Sports awards are held here too, symbolising his global popularity, as well as his world No.1 trophies.
Then came his Olympic medals, with the torch that he famously carried along the Seine in Paris a year ago among the Athens 2004 and Rio 2016 torches.
Bookending the Olympic showcase are his signed shirt from 2024, as well as one from Carlos Alcaraz, who paired with Nadal in the men’s doubles as they reached the quarterfinals. The other side is the Opening Ceremony suit that he wore when he sent the Parisian crowd into raptures.
Then, the major display. An ode to each of the four Grand Slams that each athlete in this sport aspires to win.
This is where the final four shirts are kept, which gives an idea of which victory Nadal holds the most dear at each of the Slams.
The magenta Australian Open 2022 shirt represents Melbourne Park after his famous victory over Daniel Medvedev in the decider, while the dark blue and electric green number from 2017 sits in the Roland Garros display to depict his renaissance after going three years without a major crown.
Wimbledon could only be 2008, the sleeveless top he wore in arguably the greatest match of all time against Roger Federer, while the US Open is fitted with his black sleeveless shirt from his final salutation in New York in 2019, another five-set win over Medvedev.

It isn’t just Nadal memorabilia in the museum either, with Roger Federer kindly donating the kit he wore at Wimbledon 2008 to the exhibition, a signed Novak Djokovic Uniqlo shirt sits in the room, as well as a Maria Sharapova dress.
Even away from tennis, Fernando Alonso’s 2005 World Championship-winning Renault is perched proudly in the centre of the room, with the F1, Ferrari and Alonso fan in me almost squealing to see it, as well as his 2010 race suit, his first with the Scuderia.
In addition to that are Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel signed helmets, a Leo Messi signed 2022 World Cup shirt and a Spanish shirt from the 2010 World Cup final on top of much more from the world of sport.
Rafa and the team at the complex have nailed the experience. For a tennis purist and nerd like myself, it was incredible.
You are literally immersing yourself in greatness.
Once finished, you simply must head to the shop and grab some merchandise. I went a little crazy, but I was on such a high after the tour, and I regret nothing. All up, it was only around €18 per person, which roughly equates to A$31 for entry, sensational value for money.
Overall, I give it a 10 out of 10, and I urge anyone who loves tennis to go and see it.
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