Bjorn Borg's son Leo joins Rafael Nadal's academy after relaxation of lockdown rules
Rafael Nadal started the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016, with the aim of honing the talents of the brightest and most ambitious tennis players as well as young athletes from other sports.
The Academy is host to hundreds of young men and women who are provided with coaching facilities, training infrastructure, academic tuition, nutritionists, psychologists and doctors. The mission, as specified on their website, is to "coach the young aspirants with the values, virtues and aptitudes of Rafael Nadal himself."
The Rafa Nadal Academy is set up on a sprawling campus site in the Spaniard's hometown of Mallorca, and is now playing host to Bjorn Borg's son Leo.
As per Marca, Leo Borg has finally arrived in Mallorca after waiting for lockdown restrictions to ease up, and has spent his first few days working with intensity and enthusiasm. He is currently under the orders of Toni Nadal, combining on-court drills with physical conditioning in the gym.
Rafael Nadal was perhaps the most successful teenager in the history of men's tennis, and he has largely credited his success as a young man to his uncle Toni. It therefore comes as no surprise that Toni Nadal is the head of the Rafa Nadal Academy.
As reported by Eurosport, Bjorn Borg had words of high praise for the academy and its training regimen. The 11-time Slam champion also expressed hope that just like his own son, many other talented players would start their tennis journey in Mallorca.
"The level of training at the Academy is very good and I think they are doing a great job. For this reason my son has come to play here, I am very satisfied with it and I hope that many others will come in the future because the Academy is very good," Borg said.
Rafael Nadal's academy is one of the best in the world: Bjorn Borg
In an interview with Marca earlier in the year, Borg had claimed that after visiting the academy he was excited to send his son to train and develop in Rafael Nadal's hometown.
"We are waiting for the borders to open in Spain," Borg had asserted. "Nadal's academy is one of the best in the world. Leo has been there three times and he loved it."
Rafael Nadal, of course, has interacted extensively with Bjorn Borg over the last few years, having played for Team Europe in the 2017 and 2019 editions of the Laver Cup. That team is coached by Borg, and the time the two legends spent together at the tournament seems to have played a part in Leo Borg's decision to join the Rafa Nadal Academy.
"I had the opportunity to spend a week a year ago. We went after the Laver Cup that was played in Geneva. They have great facilities, a good program and good coaches," Bjorn Borg had added.