A central element in Costa Mujeres resort, the Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre has many of the same elements that defined his original tennis academy on his home island of Majorca: a training method devised by Toni Nadal, a clean modernist design, outdoor red-clay and covered courts, an interactive museum with a collection of Rafa’s trophies and other sports memorabilia, and a sports cafe. But in Mexico, the focus has shifted from training elite juniors and professionals to providing world-class instruction to vacationers, adults and juniors alike, who are happy to devote a few hours a day to working on their games when not basking on the beach, lying around the pool, or otherwise enjoying resort amenities and exploring this part of the Mexican coast.
Pricing is all-inclusive. Guests bed down in suites at one of two hotels with the resort: the 690-room Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa or the 490-suite, adults-only TRS Coral Hotel, directly adjacent to the beach with a private beach club. All have access to the Palladium Spa, which in addition to massages and beauty treatments has sauna, steam, Jacuzzi, hot and cold whirlpools, a water slide, and relaxation areas, and to the fitness center at the Nadal complex. An area called Family Selection has daily themed program of activities at the baby club (for 1-to-3 year olds), kids club (for 4-to-12 year olds), and teens club (for kids aged 11 up). Between the two hotels, dining options are extensive, with a seven à la carte restaurants at the Grand Palladium and another six at the TRS, supplemented by more than a score of bars and lounges.
Tennis Staff: There are currently four pros on staff, headed by director Tomas Prieto and assistant Alex Praderas. Both have nearly 20 years of coaching experience, most recently at the Nadal Tennis Academy by MoviStar in Majorca.
Tennis Programs: Although private lessons are available, the primary focus is on camps, for both adults and juniors. In general, the group sessions for adults run 1 or 2 hours a day over 3 to 6 days (not necessarily consecutive). The intensity varies from medium to very high, depending on the option chosen. At the most demanding level, there is one pro for just two players, while the hourly drill session ups that ratio to 1:8. There are also sessions for those looking to work on their doubles games. The last combine work on technique and strategy with critiqued matches. Juniors have similar options. These range from a recreational program for kids ages 5 to 7 to a high intensity module designed to maximize each player’s strengths and minimize the weaknesses while improving both their overall performance and general fitness. In addition, there are holiday and summer camps for juniors.
What distinguishes these camps is their approach. Alex Praderas explains: “We use training methodology developed at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar. It differentiates us from other centres by offering more realistic training situations and drills that will help the players develop their skills much more quickly. Tennis is a sport that requires you to hit, receive, and constantly adapt, and for that you need versatility. We believe that group lessons offer players a much better training environment and opportunities for improvement since they have a chance to play and compete with different players of all styles.
“Rather than simply feeding balls, which can lead to players hitting hundreds of shots with no real purpose, we like to actively involve our coaches in the drills. The goal is to get players to focus on controlling the ball (aiming at the coach) and receiving a variety of different ball types which vary in height and speed and simulate a real rally.”
“We also believe in working with controlled rallies which simulate real match situations, allowing players to work on the different skills required for a complete game. This type of training allow the coaches to focus more on giving the best feedback and tips rather than just being mere ball machines and motivators.”
Court Complex: There are 8 red-clay courts (three beneath a roof) complemented by a full-service pro shop. Players who need them get free use of racquets and balls (or pay a small fee for demo racquets). The shop also provides towels and beverages. The cafe at the centre is accessible to guests as part of their all-inclusive package.
Court fees: None for guests; $25/hour for others
Off Court
In Mexico, the focus has shifted from training elite juniors and professionals to providing world-class instruction to vacationers, adults and juniors alike, who are happy to devote a few hours a day to working on their games when not basking on the beach, lying around the pool, or otherwise enjoying resort amenities and exploring this part of the Mexican coast.
All hotel guests have access to the Palladium Spa, which in addition to massages and beauty treatments has sauna, steam, Jacuzzi, hot and cold whirlpools, a water slide, and relaxation areas, and to the fitness center at the Nadal complex. An area called Family Selection has daily themed program of activities at the baby club (for 1-to-3 year olds), kids club (for 4-to-12 year olds), and teens club (for kids aged 11 up). Between the two hotels, dining options are extensive, with a seven à la carte restaurants at the Grand Palladium and another six at the TRS, supplemented by more than a score of bars and lounges.
Accommodations
Guests bed down in suites at one of two hotels with the resort: the 690-room Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa or the 490-suite, adults-only TRS Coral Hotel, directly adjacent to the beach with a private beach club.
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4 Reviews on “Costa Mujeres Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre ”
Very Good
3.8
4 reviews
Antonio
Amazing facilities, great coaches and methodology. A unique place to visit!
TG
If you want a different kind of experience from the usual hard court play, you might review the offerings at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center at the Grand Palladium Resort Hotel near Cancun. The tennis facility was well kept with clay courts that were groomed each morning. The small tennis office had a helpful staff with rackets and towels and cold bottles of water for tennis players. A small bar served coffee and snacks and fruit and later on drinks for those needing more hydration. Even though the tennis took place under the canopy it was a sweaty experience and the coaches can make it as intense as you can take if you ask them. The instructors were excellent players of course and they were good at working with different skill levels in the same group of players. In addition they seemed to enjoy teaching tennis which is not always the case with high level players. You will not spend a lot of time hitting easy feeds but playing with other campers at your level or a bit above. Often the instructors would step in and play one against one or one against two and raise the level and the heart rate for extended rallies that continue for fifteen or twenty shots. Each day the people in the group changed some and while the levels varied all of them were fun to hit with and fans of the game of tennis. I liked that the tennis balls were lively and that there were bottles of ice water next to the courts. I also lost eight pounds over three days. The advice from the staff to take the ferry to Isla Mujeres for a day was a highlight of my stay. Rent a golf cart and go see the town and the ocean views. Having been to Saddlebrook and some other intense tennis centers I would recommend the Rafa operation for players rated 3.5 and above. Bring extra shoes and tennis clothes because there is no laundry and you will work up a sweat fast. Clay court tennis shoes are not required. Slippage was minimal and fun was maximal for me. Your mileage may vary but if you like tennis you will like this place.
CT
My wife and a participated in the 3-day Premium tennis program which involves 2-1 ratio of guests-coach. The coach, Reuben, was terrific – enthusiastic, excellent communicator, extremely knowledgeable and a great ambassador for the Rafa Nadal teaching philosophy. The program is only 2 hours per day but is high intensity, especially in the 2:1 situation and in serious heat, and was enough for us. The teaching philosophy is different from other programs and involved high intensity, “live ball drills” as opposed to being fed balls as is customary in some programs. The emphasis was on hitting the right TYPE of shot rather than technique (although he did make some technical suggestions when appropriate). For example, drills involved hitting 8-12 consecutive balls varying the type of shot from deep cross court forehand followed by short forehand down the line followed by deep cross court backhand followed by short backhand down the line. Exhausting but great. That said, there are a few kinks in this new resort that require refining. After we booked the Premium program and paid for our flights, we received an email saying they were sold out for the Premium Program. To their credit they relented and honored their original commitment but it required several anxious emails. Three of the courts are covered which is great in the heat but the white color on the “roof” is a poor background for visibility and we found we had trouble “picking up” the ball off that background. Our coach agreed. Maybe change color slightly? Finally, a minor but annoying point, when we were collecting the balls in between drills, there were not enough of those plastic cylinder things to pick up balls so I had to bend over and pick up hundreds of balls with my aging bare hands. Was thinking I should buy one and donate it to Rafa! In short, given Rafa’s legendary attention to detail, I don’t think his Academy has quite perfected all the details. We’d definitely come back!
BB
Stayed at this resort in the Spring of 2019. Resort is new and beautiful. We stayed in the adults only section which is a good 15-20 minute walk to the tennis courts. However, there are shuttles (even boats) that you can easily grab to take you where you want to go. Tennis center is very nice- new. Upper area is a Nadal Museum with memorabilia. There are 3 covered clay courts, a single stadium court and about 3 other outdoor courts. It was not crowded and very easy to book courts. They did not offer match play or set up any tennis for guests. Facility is all clay courts- not hard courts or grass. We went to one clinic- it was “ok”. Nothing exceptional. But very friendly staff with energy. Resort is all-inclusive. Very clean. Friendly staff. Food good for all-inclusive. Lots of options and entertainment. We paid extra to upgrade to a two-story room with hot tub on balcony. Worth every penny. Room service very slow but it was a great option. I would definitely go back but since courts are all outdoor I would consider the weather when booking a tennis vacation. It gets hot! We played early mornings and had no issues.
MB
Nice variety of high energy drills and skilled instructors in pleasant surroundings. The tennis center is a new facility with 8 excellent red clay courts (3 covered although background in these needs improvement), a cafe, store, locker room and small museum of his memorabilia and other sport exhibits. The fitness center is located in the hotel. The hotel complex is located in a newly developed section of greater Cancun, a 15-20 minute drive from the main town. A nice feature is that one doesn’t have to stay at the hotel associated wit the tennis complex but can drive to it from other hotels or houses. I would recommend it to friends. It has a variety of programs for all ages and levels.
4 Reviews on “Costa Mujeres Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre ”
Amazing facilities, great coaches and methodology. A unique place to visit!
If you want a different kind of experience from the usual hard court play, you might review the offerings at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center at the Grand Palladium Resort Hotel near Cancun. The tennis facility was well kept with clay courts that were groomed each morning. The small tennis office had a helpful staff with rackets and towels and cold bottles of water for tennis players. A small bar served coffee and snacks and fruit and later on drinks for those needing more hydration. Even though the tennis took place under the canopy it was a sweaty experience and the coaches can make it as intense as you can take if you ask them. The instructors were excellent players of course and they were good at working with different skill levels in the same group of players. In addition they seemed to enjoy teaching tennis which is not always the case with high level players. You will not spend a lot of time hitting easy feeds but playing with other campers at your level or a bit above. Often the instructors would step in and play one against one or one against two and raise the level and the heart rate for extended rallies that continue for fifteen or twenty shots. Each day the people in the group changed some and while the levels varied all of them were fun to hit with and fans of the game of tennis. I liked that the tennis balls were lively and that there were bottles of ice water next to the courts. I also lost eight pounds over three days. The advice from the staff to take the ferry to Isla Mujeres for a day was a highlight of my stay. Rent a golf cart and go see the town and the ocean views. Having been to Saddlebrook and some other intense tennis centers I would recommend the Rafa operation for players rated 3.5 and above. Bring extra shoes and tennis clothes because there is no laundry and you will work up a sweat fast. Clay court tennis shoes are not required. Slippage was minimal and fun was maximal for me. Your mileage may vary but if you like tennis you will like this place.
My wife and a participated in the 3-day Premium tennis program which involves 2-1 ratio of guests-coach. The coach, Reuben, was terrific – enthusiastic, excellent communicator, extremely knowledgeable and a great ambassador for the Rafa Nadal teaching philosophy. The program is only 2 hours per day but is high intensity, especially in the 2:1 situation and in serious heat, and was enough for us. The teaching philosophy is different from other programs and involved high intensity, “live ball drills” as opposed to being fed balls as is customary in some programs. The emphasis was on hitting the right TYPE of shot rather than technique (although he did make some technical suggestions when appropriate). For example, drills involved hitting 8-12 consecutive balls varying the type of shot from deep cross court forehand followed by short forehand down the line followed by deep cross court backhand followed by short backhand down the line. Exhausting but great. That said, there are a few kinks in this new resort that require refining. After we booked the Premium program and paid for our flights, we received an email saying they were sold out for the Premium Program. To their credit they relented and honored their original commitment but it required several anxious emails. Three of the courts are covered which is great in the heat but the white color on the “roof” is a poor background for visibility and we found we had trouble “picking up” the ball off that background. Our coach agreed. Maybe change color slightly? Finally, a minor but annoying point, when we were collecting the balls in between drills, there were not enough of those plastic cylinder things to pick up balls so I had to bend over and pick up hundreds of balls with my aging bare hands. Was thinking I should buy one and donate it to Rafa! In short, given Rafa’s legendary attention to detail, I don’t think his Academy has quite perfected all the details. We’d definitely come back!
Stayed at this resort in the Spring of 2019. Resort is new and beautiful. We stayed in the adults only section which is a good 15-20 minute walk to the tennis courts. However, there are shuttles (even boats) that you can easily grab to take you where you want to go. Tennis center is very nice- new. Upper area is a Nadal Museum with memorabilia. There are 3 covered clay courts, a single stadium court and about 3 other outdoor courts. It was not crowded and very easy to book courts. They did not offer match play or set up any tennis for guests. Facility is all clay courts- not hard courts or grass. We went to one clinic- it was “ok”. Nothing exceptional. But very friendly staff with energy. Resort is all-inclusive. Very clean. Friendly staff. Food good for all-inclusive. Lots of options and entertainment. We paid extra to upgrade to a two-story room with hot tub on balcony. Worth every penny. Room service very slow but it was a great option. I would definitely go back but since courts are all outdoor I would consider the weather when booking a tennis vacation. It gets hot! We played early mornings and had no issues.
Nice variety of high energy drills and skilled instructors in pleasant surroundings. The tennis center is a new facility with 8 excellent red clay courts (3 covered although background in these needs improvement), a cafe, store, locker room and small museum of his memorabilia and other sport exhibits. The fitness center is located in the hotel. The hotel complex is located in a newly developed section of greater Cancun, a 15-20 minute drive from the main town. A nice feature is that one doesn’t have to stay at the hotel associated wit the tennis complex but can drive to it from other hotels or houses. I would recommend it to friends. It has a variety of programs for all ages and levels.