'I wish I had the chance when I was a kid' - Moya praises Rafael Nadal's Academy
Rafael Nadal's tennis academy in Mallorca is one of the world's finest sporting centres. Founded in 2016, it has been graced by a bevvy of top players like Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg.
Now, Rafael Nadal's coach Carlos Moya has come out in praise of the facility, lauding its infrastructure and team of coaches and also the way it prepares its graduates for life.
The Rafa Nadal Academy in Nadal's home city features 26 tennis courts that include both hardcourt and clay. It also has a football field, squash court, player gym, lodging and a plethora of other facilities.
The international tennis academy combines tennis and education so that its young graduates don't miss out on any aspect of their growth. It focuses a lot of its attention on young players, but has specific training regimes customized for adult players too.
The team at the Rafa Nadal Academy comprises of a group of experienced coaches under the tutelage of Rafael Nadal's uncle and long-time coach Toni Nadal.
The facilities at Rafael Nadal's Academy are amazing: Carlos Moya
Rafael Nadal's coach Carlos Moya, who also hails from Mallorca, spoke highly about his compatriot's Academy. Moya went as far as saying he would have joined it if it had existed while he was growing up.
The former Roland Garros champion further said that the Rafa Nadal Academy prepares a person for life apart, from imparting world-class tennis lessons.
“I wish I had the chance when I was a kid to have the facilities that all the kids have here at the Academy," Moya said. "It’s a great place to develop yourself, not just as a tennis player, but also as a person."
Carlos Moya extolled the facilities available at Rafael Nadal's Academy, describing them as 'amazing'. The 43-year-old also spoke about the Academy having the 'best' courts in the world and a supremely experienced coaching team.
"The facilities here are amazing," Moya said. "You have all the tools that you are going to need to become the best player you can be. You have a great team of experienced coaches. You have the best tennis courts in the world - claycourt, hardcourt."
Moya signed off by saying that the Academy not only develops a player's tennis skills but also their life skills, and that he would have no qualms about sending his kid to the Rafa Nadal Academy.
"You also have a school here. You can stay here. All that makes the Academy a great place to develop yourself not only as a tennis player but also as a person. I will send my kid here."
Recently, the 2020 class of graduates from the Rafa Nadal Academy were addressed by Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.
In his message to the latest batch of graduates from Rafael Nadal's Academy, Federer wished them luck and hoped that they had a great experience during their time at the Academy.
The Swiss legend urged the graduates to espouse the virtues of kindness and humility in whatever field they choose in the future, even if their tennis dream doesn't work out.