Why did it happen and how did it go?
From Manacor to Manhattan
Photos courtesy of Rafa Nadal Academy
Maribel Nadal, Deputy General Manager of the Rafa Nadal Academy and the driving force behind the Tour in the U.S., on a debut that’s now in the books — and what a Manacor-born circuit was built to feel like on American glass.
Reserve Hudson Yards. Manhattan skyline as the backdrop. Amateur brackets, social energy, Academy standards — the whole cocktail. That was the closer for the Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour by Playtomic’s first swing through the United States.
Not a soft launch. Miami, Austin, New York. Padel X, Padel 39, Reserve Hudson Yards. Three cities, one Playtomic alliance, and a product that wanted the hang to hit as hard as the scoreboard. Now that the lights are down, Maribel Nadal walked us through why they picked 2026, why these markets, and what “Manacor energy” was supposed to feel like once it landed stateside.
Photos courtesy of Rafa Nadal Academy
Why They Didn’t Wait
U.S. padel is finally loud. Clubs keep opening. Leagues fill up. The local bracket is no longer a novelty. What’s been thinner: an international amateur circuit with real Academy DNA — the kind that still feels like Manacor when you’re standing in Austin.
For the Academy, the timing wasn’t a dart throw.
“The U.S. padel market is growing fast and has the potential to become a major power in the sport,” Maribel says. “2026 felt like the right time. Rafa is deeply loved in the United States — four U.S. Opens will do that — and Academy events here have always gotten a warm reception.”
Four U.S. Opens gets you permission. Infrastructure buys you a tour. RNA didn’t show up with a logo and a prayer — they brought padel systems, amateur-circuit experience, and a methodology they wanted transplanted without sanding off the Manacor edges.
“We have the padel infrastructure and the amateur-circuit experience,” she adds. “The goal was to bring RNA methodology and that Manacor-rooted global community stateside.”
Photos courtesy of Rafa Nadal Academy
Not Random Pins on a Map
Miami. Austin. New York. Complementary markets, growing communities, clubs already wired into Playtomic. The pins were strategic — Padel X, Padel 39, Reserve Hudson Yards — not a vibes board.
“We chose the cities and venues with Playtomic,” according to Maribel. “Miami, Austin, and New York are complementary markets with growing padel communities. Padel X, Padel 39, and Reserve Hudson Yards are strategic Playtomic clubs.”
The selection was both/and: high-quality amateur competition and a social, community feel. Academy standards, adapted locally. Not a trophy-only tour. Not a hangout with a bracket taped on.
“The goal was high-quality amateur competition with a strong social and community feel — Academy standards, adapted locally,” Maribel says.
Photos courtesy of Rafa Nadal Academy
The Manhattan Milestone
Most tours dream about a New York finale. This one got Reserve Hudson Yards — and RNA treated it like a milestone, not a nice-to-have last stop.
“Closing at Reserve Hudson Yards was special,” Maribel says. “It’s an iconic city, and the mix of amateur players, social energy, and community is exactly what we wanted. Putting the brand in Manhattan is a milestone in the Academy’s international expansion from Manacor.”
Rafa’s U.S. affection is part of that story. The quieter KPI is whether people leave feeling like they belong.
“The greatest satisfaction is when people enjoy the competition, connect with each other, and feel like they’re part of the Academy community,” as Maribel put it.
Photos courtesy of Rafa Nadal Academy
Spain. Italy. The U.S. Next Up: Europe Again.
The American swing isn’t the whole map. Rafa is a Playtomic shareholder, and RNA is treating that alliance as the engine — not a sticker on a welcome pack.
As Maribel put it: “The Playtomic alliance is fundamental; Rafa is a Playtomic shareholder. We keep bringing padel and RNA methodology globally — amateur competition, player development, and a global community.”
Sequence so far: Spain and Italy, then the U.S. debut. Next on the board: Poland, Germany, and the UK, with more international venues in 2027 alongside Playtomic. Long game from Manacor — a leading international amateur circuit that still feels like home.
“After Spain and Italy came the U.S. debut, then Poland, Germany, and the UK, with more international venues in 2027 alongside Playtomic,” she says. “Long-term, we want this to be a leading international amateur circuit tied back to Manacor.”
From Manacor to Manhattan — and the circuit’s not done traveling.
For more, you can check out the tour site: https://rafanadalacademypadeltour.com/en/usa/
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