The Rafael Nadal Academy is proving to be a potent breeding ground for future tennis stars, with Alex Eala the latest star name to make their mark in the professional ranks after her impressive run in recent months.
Eala has emerged as one of the shining lights of the WTA Tour after a run of form that saw her reach the last-16 at Wimbledon, beating defending champion Iga Swiatek in that run, and she backed that up by winning her first WTA Tour title in Washington last week.
That success story saw Eala enhance her own reputation, but also boost the profile of the Academy set up by 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal and his uncle Toni.
Eala is the latest player to make a success of a professional career after coming through the ranks of the Mallorca Academy, with Casper Ruud, Jaume Munar, Martin Landaluce and Coleman Wong all making it into the top 100 on the ATP Tour after attending the Academy.
On the WTA Tour, Eala is joined by Argentina’s Solana Sierra, Alina Korneeva have joined Eala in making it into the top 100 of the professional rankings after emerging through the Mallorca hot-bed.
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Eala explained how her tennis dreams were transformed when she was offered the chance to train at the Nadal Academy in an interview with WTATennis.com.
“Tennis is in my family – I was coached by my grandfather for the first 10 years of my ‘career’. From 3.5 to 13 (years old), it was him and I was training every day with my brother,” said Eala.
“He had also coached a couple of my older cousins, so it really started as a way for me to bond with him. Of course, my parents wanted – I think sports as an extracurricular teaches you a lot of stuff. My parents would come with me and we would compete internationally.
“We started obviously in Asia, and then we would go to Europe as well. America. Then I guess a big opportunity came when I won Les Petit (2018). I went with my dad. We were just there and we won it and Rafa Nadal Academy reached out to me, so that was a big thing. I moved to Spain at 13.”
It is not cheap to attend the Nadal Academy, with estimated annual costs of between €52,000–€63,000 per year if you are a full-time student on a top level tennis programme.
The official Rafa Nadal Academy website states: “The Rafa Nadal Academy, founded by one of the world’s most admired and respected athletes, offers much more than tennis training: it is an excellent environment designed to develop each student’s full potential, both on the court and in the classroom.
“Through a carefully designed annual program, we combine high-performance training with first-class international academic training. Our goal is to develop not only great players, but also individuals prepared to face the challenges of the future, with values such as effort, humility, self-improvement, and respect as our fundamental pillars.
“Each student receives personalised attention, both in their athletic and academic development. Being part of the Annual Program is a unique opportunity to integrate into a professional, demanding, and humane structure, where hard work, discipline, and a passion for sports are valued.”
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Eala’s success boosts the reputation of the Academy, which has already proved to be a lucrative venture for Nadal and his backers after a private investment firm took a 44.9% stake in the facility in February of last year.
The deal has boosted the wealth of a player who won almost $135 million in his playing career by a whopping almost €100 million after the sale of the stake in his Academy brought in €94.1million.
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