Thursday 20th August, MANACOR, SPAIN: The first edition of the Rafa Nadal Academy Pádel Tour by Playtomic in the USA has ended after four successful heats in three of the country’s biggest padel markets, Miami, Austin and New York. The conclusion of the tour reaffirms the fantastic reception for the amateur circuit, which continues to broaden its horizons and consolidate its international expansion, with events now in six countries.
One of the United States’ fastest-growing padel cities, New York was given the honour of hosting the season finale. Reserve Hudson Yards, one of the city’s most exclusive padel clubs, hosted the fourth and final event last weekend, when participants in three categories enjoyed two days of padel, music, leisure and various other experiences for the players and their guests.
The circuit began its journey around the US in March at Padel X Miami before stopping off in Austin, Texas, in April at Padel 39. In May, Miami set the stage once again for the third stop, this time at Ultra Padel Miami club. During these four heats, the circuit remained true to the essence with which it launched three years ago: competition for amateur players of different levels, welcome packs, prizes, and activities running in parallel, as well as exhibitions with professional players.
The four tournaments have given the Rafa Nadal Academy first-hand experience of the potential of amateur padel in the US and the circuit’s scope to translate its model into other emerging padel markets.
Maribel Nadal, Deputy General Manager of the Rafa Nadal Academy, was very positive about the circuit’s first venture into the country: “This first year in the United States has been very positive. From the first event in Miami through to this conclusion in New York, we have found a community with an enormous desire to play, compete and experience padel. It was important for us, and our partners at Playtomic, that the Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour maintained the same essence here with which it was created: offering a high-quality competition while also creating an experience around the sport. The welcome we have received encourages us to keep growing and shows that there is a huge opportunity to continue bringing our padel project closer to players all over the world”.
The Rafa Nadal Academy Pádel Tour’s arrival in America was backed by Playtomic, the circuit’s main partner and the world’s leading app for racket-sport players and clubs, and by Babolat, who also form part of the project as a strategic partner, providing sports equipment and prizes for the participants.
An increasingly international circuit
This first venture in the United States represents a new step in the international expansion of a circuit that began life in Spain and now stages events in six different countries.
Spain, where the Rafa Nadal Academy Pádel Tour is in its third year, continues to be the focus of the project, with heats in various cities and a final phase in Manacor. Italy is holding its second edition this year, while Poland now forms part of the international circuit. In addition, it has just been announced that the Tour will visit two other hotly-anticipated padel markets, Germany and the UK, with its first events this September.
A firm commitment to padel
The circuit’s international growth is part of the Rafa Nadal Academy’s much broader commitment to a sport that has become an ever more significant part of its sporting project in recent years.
The Academy currently has 19 indoor and outdoor courts in Manacor and has gradually bolstered its training infrastructure, its programs and its presence internationally. It also participates in the Hexagon Cup and counts leading professional players Gemma Triay and Franco Stupaczuk as its ambassadors.
The next step will be the launch of the Annual Padel Program, a new scheme targeting the comprehensive coaching of young players, which will adopt the sporting, educational and formative model developed by the Rafa Nadal Academy. Players will also have the opportunity to combine their sports development with their studies at the Rafa Nadal School, the American international school located on the same campus.
The Annual Padel Program represents the next step in the Academy’s commitment to padel, focussed on amateur competition through to the comprehensive coaching of young players who aspire to have an elite career in the sport.