Rafa Nadal Academy to open in summer 2016

London.—Majorcan tennis ace, Rafa Nadal, unveiled plans yesterday for his tennis academy in his native Manacor which could allow budding tennis stars to follow in his footsteps.
The Rafa Nadal Academy will open in the summer of 2016 and will train 140 youngsters every term.  The academy will create scores of new jobs.
The centre will be built over an area measuring 50,571  metres, and will include 18 tennis courts, a school and a residence for young sports stars from across the globe. Also, there will be three swimming pools, a seven-a-side football pitch, a padel course, a medical centre, a shopping complex and 35 apartments for visiting sportspeople.
“The basic aim of the Rafa Nadal Academy is to get the most out of  youngsters on the tennis court and prepare them for the future,” said Nadal, who added that his academy was a way of saying  thank you to his homeland.
“I also want it to be a meeting point for all people who are interested in sport,” the nine times winner of the French Open said yesterday.