Andy Murray to renew Rafael Nadal rivalry as Spaniard celebrates 10 years of tennis academy - 'I think I can still be competitive'
Published 23/09/2026 at 16:28 GMT+1
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Andy Murray is set to renew his rivalry with Rafael Nadal as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Spaniard’s tennis academy, the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam. The event takes place in Spain in early October.
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Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is set to face Nadal for the first time in 10 years as the retired pair captain their respective teams at an event celebrating a decade of the Rafa Nadal Academy.
The pair met several times a year during their careers, though never in a Grand Slam final, with Nadal registering 17 wins to Murray’s seven. They last met in the semi-finals of the 2016 Mutua Madrid Open, with the Scot winning 7-5 6-4.
In a social media video, Nadal personally invited Murray to return to the academy in Manacor, Majorca, for the event on October 3.
"I know you've been practising a lot, almost like a professional. I can't practise as much as you, but I think I can still be competitive," Nadal said.
"Maybe you can bring some of your friends and I can bring some of mine, and we can have a team competition here at the academy to celebrate the 10th anniversary.
"It would be fantastic for everyone here at the academy to welcome you back."
The remaining members of Team Rafa and Team Murray are yet to be announced.
Murray has visited the academy on two previous occasions, in 2016 for a training session and three years later to compete at the Rafa Nadal Open.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, has not played a competitive match since the 2024 Davis Cup in Malaga, while Murray played the final match of his career at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The pair have enjoyed a close relationship since they were children. Indeed, Murray lavished praise on Nadal at an event at the 2025 Roland-Garros, where the Spaniard won a record 14 titles.
"Me and him had always got on really well since we were kids," Murray said. "Obviously what he went on to achieve was amazing, particularly here.
"People say it all the time with records but I genuinely think that this one, I would be really very, very surprised if that gets broken.
"It is going to stand the test of time I think. Amazing, amazing player, great guy, great to see him have a proper send-off."
Nadal, addressing Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, added: "After all these years fighting, it's unbelievable how the time has changed the perspective of everything.
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"You don't know yet, Novak, probably Andy knows, but Roger and I have talked about that a couple of times. All these nerves, pressures, strange feelings when you see each other as rivals.
"As rivals, it's completely different when you finish your career. All of us achieved our dreams. We became tennis players, played in important stages of our career, and built an amazing rivalry.
"We showed the world we can fight as hard as possible but in a good way. Be good colleagues and respect each other."
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