By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Photo credit: Rafa Nadal Academy
A Spanish Armada aims to make a splash at the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam.
David Ferrer and Carlos Moyà have joined Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet on the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s squad for the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam, set for Saturday, October 3rd at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Mallorca.
Team Nadal will take on Team Murray, featuring Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem, Marat Safin and Fabio Fognini, in the doubles exhibition event as part of the Academy’s 10th Anniversary celebrations.
The addition of Ferrer and Moyà will bring three of the leading figures from a generation that defined an era in Spanish tennis back together on court. Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer and Carlos Moyà will once again play on the same team, rekindling the spirit of the Spanish Armada that enjoyed some of the greatest successes in the country’s tennis history, particularly in the Davis Cup.
Ferrer and Nadal shared countless moments on and off the court for almost two decades. The Alicante native was one of the key members of the Spanish team that won the Davis Cup in 2008, 2009 and 2011, and he currently serves as captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team. At the 2024 Finals in Malaga, it was Ferrer who captained the team in Rafa Nadal’s final professional appearance.
Throughout his career, David Ferrer reached World No. 3 in the ATP Rankings and won 27 titles, including the 2012 Paris Masters 1000. He was also runner-up at Roland Garros in 2013 and the ATP Finals in 2007, establishing himself as one of the most consistent Spanish players of his generation.
Carlos Moyà, meanwhile, was the first Spanish player to reach World No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, won 20 titles and lifted the Roland Garros trophy in 1998. Moyà and Nadal were also part of the Spanish team that won the 2004 Davis Cup in Seville, one of the great milestones in the recent history of Spanish tennis.
Moyà and Nadal’s careers have been closely connected for many years. After sharing the same generation and playing together in the Davis Cup, the Mallorcan joined Rafa Nadal’s coaching team at the end of 2016, ahead of the start of the 2017 season, and is also part of the Rafa Nadal Academy’s sporting project.
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