Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar kicks off: Martín Landaluce, Spain’s best hope

The big names to watch this year will be top-seeded Otto Virtanen , a four-time Challenger winner who reached the second round of the Rome Masters 1000 and the ATP 250 tournaments in Marseille and Marrakech this year; Borna Gojo , a former Top 100 player and key player for Croatia in the Davis Cup; and Marc Andrea Huesler , this year’s winner of the Cuernavaca Challenger in Mexico.

They are joined by promising prospects such as Martín Landaluce , the second seed who won his first ATP Challenger title in Olbia in 2023, becoming the youngest Spaniard to do so since Carlos Alcaraz. Also standing out are Abedallah Shelbayh, a player from the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, and Gueymard Wayenburg , who will be the focus of much of the fans’ attention.

Sorteo del cuadro del Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar 2025

The draw has produced an interesting first-round matchup between players from the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar : Abdullah Shelbayh will face Dani Rincón . This will be their sixth meeting, with the Jordanian player winning three times. However, it was the Spaniard who prevailed in their last meeting, held at the Oeiras Open 3.

Thousands of fans will gather in the stands of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar to enjoy not only the best tennis, but also a wide range of leisure and dining options. As Rafa Nadal himself pointed out, at this tournament, fans “don’t just come to watch tennis; they also participate in the activities and enjoy the atmosphere. This gives the tournament a social dimension, which is very important to us.”

The Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar is seeking its seventh different champion, following Croatian Duje Ajdukovic ‘s victory over Matteo Gigante in the 2024 final. Previous title winners were Bernard Tomic (2018), Emil Ruusuvuori (2019), Lukas Lacko (2021), Luca Nardi (2022), and Hamad Medjedovic (2023).

For another year, Movistar , the tournament’s main sponsor, will offer television coverage through Movistar Plus sports channels. This collaboration strengthens the sponsorship that has linked Movistar with the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar since 2016, a leading sports center where young players from around the world receive both tennis and academic training and which hosts top-level international competitions.

Entry to the tournament is free and can be downloaded from the website www.rafanadalopen.com . Fans can also visit the Rafa Nadal Museum for just 10 euros.

Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar 2024: THE FILM