Everything we know about Rafael Nadal Netflix documentary amid first teaser release
Rafael Nadal's glorious career came to an end this year. After enthralling fans for two decades with his incredible performances, he played the last match of his career at the Davis Cup Finals in November. It wasn't a victorious send-off as he lost his singles tie, and Spain was also eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Nevertheless, Nadal weathered several ups and downs throughout his career and came out stronger each time to wrap up his playing days with a stellar resume. Now, a new documentary is in the works based on his life on and off the court, which will be released on Netflix in the near future.
The streaming giant released a minute-long teaser about the documentary on Wednesday, December 18. The clip starts with a voiceover being amazed by the Spaniard, and it builds up in intensity until it ends with a nod to his retirement. Watch the clip below:
The yet-to-be-titled documentary will spotlight Nadal's final season on the tour, along with some rare footage from his own archives. It will also focus on his personal life, giving fans intimate access to another side of his. The documentary will be directed by Zach Heinzerling, an Academy Award nominee.
"I never thought I'd do something like this," - Rafael Nadal on his upcoming Netflix documentary
Rafael Nadal didn't anticipate being the focus of a documentary but David Ellison's (the producer) vision convinced him to give it a shot. He's fully behind their idea and is sure that it will be perfectly executed as well.
"I never thought I’d do something like this, but I got a call from David Ellison and with his words together with an amazing project they put in front of my eyes it really convinced me this was the right thing to do. Everyone will be able to see how my life has been during my tennis career and particularly in this very last year I had. It will also show how my life and my tennis career developed through the years. I am sure the final product, the docuseries, will be amazing and that it will be seen around the world," - Nadal in a media statement released by Netflix.
The Spaniard also thanked his family and colleagues and acknowledged that it mustn't have been easy to make time for this and allow full-time access to the crew for the same. He also was grateful to various tournaments for giving the requisite permissions that made the docuseries possible, and the team behind it.
"My thanks to David Ellison and his team at Skydance for creating and believing on this project. To my family and my team for allowing being filmed this past year, I know it was not easy for all of us. To my colleagues and peers who have given time to put themselves in front of a camera for some time. And thanks to the tournaments around the world that facilitated the work, it wasn’t easy," - Nadal added.
This isn't Netflix's first foray into the world of tennis. They released two seasons of Break Point, a docuseries focusing on the day-to-day lives and behind-the-scenes action of top ATP and WTA players. They also backed and televised an exhibition event featuring Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz earlier this year. The documentary on the 22-time Major champion is another effort by them to expand their audience.