'For me it is a great satisfaction' - Rafael Nadal on how his academy helps both youngsters & adults
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal recently spoke about the adult programs that the Rafa Nadal Academy offers to players from all over the world. The Spaniard highlighted that many grown-ups join his academy to work on their tennis skills, and they also enjoy the positive atmosphere in Mallorca.
In a video released by the Rafa Nadal Academy on YouTube, Rafael Nadal thoroughly explained how his facility offers a unique training program to players who are out of their formative phase. Tennis academies usually focus on kids and teenagers, but Nadal stated that his team works equally hard for adults.
The experience that adults get from here is very positive: Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal has been immensely successful on the tennis court, to say the least. Nicknamed the 'King of Clay', the Mallorca-based player has won 12 French Open titles. In addition, he has captured the Australian Open title once, while he is a two-time Wimbledon winner and a four-time US Open Champion.
The 34-year-old Spaniard is the defending US Open Champion, but judging by his training sessions on clay, many believe he may skip the hardcourt season. Rafael Nadal is currently busy at his academy, and has been using his spare time to highlight the benefits of the coaching programs.
"When we think of the academy itself, we always think of the young players. However, here we also have different adult programs that work well, and we are satisfied to do a tennis program for a few days or weeks," Rafael Nadal explained.
The 2008 Olympics gold medalist then mentioned that many adults visit his academy to sharpen their skills.
"In fact, every year more adults come here to do a tennis program for a few days or weeks. For me it is a great satisfaction," he continued.
Rafael Nadal has achieved pretty much every thing there is to achieve in tennis, and now he is trying his best to help others get to a comparable level. To ensure that the facilities at his academy are up to the mark, Nadal uses the equipment regularly himself, and gets a ground report from the students.
"I try to come here every day because I practice and go to the gym here. When I see players I try to ask them about their stay here and they usually say that the experience they get from here is very positive. That's something that personally makes me happy, that the adult players who come from many places in the world spend a few days here and have fun learning and perfecting their tennis game," Rafael Nadal said.
He signed off by listing the other advantages of coming to his academy, like the beauty of the Balearic Islands and an airport that connects the venue to the whole of Europe. Recently, Bjorn Borg's son Leo joined the Rafa Nadal Academy after the relaxation of strict lockdown rules.