Madrid, October 23, 2023 - Hexagon Cup, the new padel tournament whose mission is to transform the sport of 20 x 10, is pleased to announce that the prestigious Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar will have its own team in the new padel tournament to be held at the Madrid Arena from January 31 to February 4, 2024.
The academy of 22 Grand Slam title winning Champion Rafa Nadal becomes the second of the six confirmed teams after the revelation of the Hexagon Cup team during last month’s official launch.
"We are proud to welcome the Rafa Nadal Academy team to the Hexagon Cup. Our mission is to attract the best players in the world, provide the most inclusive platform to support emerging talent and grow the padel fan base worldwide, so we couldn't wish for a better team to join us," says Enrique Buenaventura, Founder and Advisory Board Member of Hexagon Cup.
Known for training world-class tennis players since its opening in 2016 in Manacor, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar has also bet on padel thanks to the development of training programs for youth and adults in cutting-edge facilities where 10 outdoor courts and 7 indoor courts are located.
Its fitness centre, its pioneering health and wellness areas, its wide range of restaurants and its modern residence make the Rafa Nadal Academy has become one of the ideal places to practise padel. This wide range of services is complemented by leisure and training spaces such as the Rafa Nadal Museum and the Rafa Nadal School, also located within the Campus itself. All this has created a perfect environment for the development of young talents and adults who wish to live a unique experience in an ideal environment for sports practice. The academy has already organised numerous padel tournaments, including a World Padel Tour Challenger event.
In addition, the Rafa Nadal Academy has announced that Richard Mille will be its main sponsor in this competition, so the team will officially be called "Rafa Nadal Academy Team powered by Richard Mille".
Maribel Nadal, Marketing and Sales Director of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, says: "Padel is a sport to which we have been committed since the beginning of the academy. We have state-of-the-art facilities, a team of great professionals and programs adapted to all levels. One of our greatest joys is to see the positive feedback from the professional padel players who visit us. Our participation in the Hexagon Cup reflects our commitment to develop and promote padel talent and the reach of the sport worldwide,"
Adding, she says: "We love the innovative, ambitious and respectful vision of the Hexagon Cup and believe its creation will have a decisive impact on the growth of padel. We are in talks with some of the biggest names in the sport to become franchise players of the Rafa Nadal Academy Team powered by Richard Mille and we will be able to unveil our selected players very soon."
An all-star tournament to take padel to another level
Born under the slogan "For the Fans. For the Players. For the Game", the innovative Hexagon Cup padel tournament combines male, female and "next gen" players with top team owners from different branches of sport and entertainment to compete for an impressive €1 million prize money, creating a new team competition and a truly exciting fan experience.
Once the six teams and their franchise players have been revealed, the Player Draft will take place from the middle of November, where the remaining players for each team will be selected. However, the Hexagon Cup team will have the exception that it will be the fans who will be in charge of the final selection of the players. The Rafa Nadal Academy Team powered by Richard Mille will announce its two franchise players in the coming weeks.
In the tournament proper, the six teams will be divided into two qualifying groups. The teams in each group will face each other in a series of head-to-head matches, and only the top two teams in each group will advance to the finals, where the inaugural Hexagon Cup champion will be crowned. It should be recalled that this tournament distributes a prize purse of one million euros.
In its first edition, the Hexagon Cup will take place in the historic Madrid Arena, a perfect setting to create a great show. This will include an attractive Fan Village full of autograph signing sessions and player training tracks, live concerts and entertainment, stores, exhibition area, food trucks and top-notch gastronomic offerings, plus world-class VIP hospitality offerings, all aimed at creating a truly memorable experience for sports and entertainment fans.
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