Rafa Nadal Museum — Attraction in Manacor

One star because there is no possibility of choosing none. Rafa Nadal is a tennis icon and we went to the museum adjacent to his academy full of anticipation. It turned out to be the worst museum we have ever visited. It starts with punters having to wait in a glass cubicle until the appointed time on the arrival ticket. It is like herding sheep. There is no attempt at making the wait interesting and the glass doors still carry the pandemic advice (in 2024). When finally allowed in, the floor is devoted to so-called interactive games of a varied nature - with no explanation as to what is meant to be achieved. You can have your picture taken with a kind of hologram Nadal but the set up is so badly designed that all the other attendees at the spot are reflected in the glass! After erring aimlessly on this useless floor, we decided to move on to the exhibition proper. If anything, this is worse. There is a film supposedly outlining the values of sport. Various sportspeople whose name never appears in the credits mouth out platitudes, their voice often covered by some blaring ‘muzak’. The only women that appear are for decoration. As far as we could recognise, there aren’t any sportswomen. May be they all refused? If so, it is definitely to their credit. While this nonsense film goes out, the rest of the exhibits are in the dark - so you have to wait in order to see! And yet, there is only a small bench for the spectators. When the lights come on again, there is a disparate exhibition of Nadal’s cup wins, of the clothes he wore at some major tournament (although for the most part, not the year in which he may have worn them). There are also some clothes of haphazard sportsmen (cycling and motor racing come to mind). Why those? There is no attempt at explaining. If you go to this ‘museum’ nevertheless(18€ per entry), do not expect any curating. It all feels like anything goes. It is a major disappointment given the aura of Rafael Nadal. It would be great if he did set foot in the place and realised for himself the disaster this place is - and yet it bears his...

Well this was a big ticket item on my to do list, on my recent trip to Mallorca. Unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. Considering the marvel and legendary status of Rafael Nadal, this museum was a let down for me. For a championship who is so particular in his tennis mantra, unfortunately it does not extend to the museum and by reading other reviews i am not the only one with these thoughts.

For a man who bas given 20+ years to tennis, and considering the huge amounts of videos and media material that is available, i was hoping to see a more in depth look on what makes the man so great. Instead i was met with VR games, Formula 1 simulators, things for kids to do and a ‘very’ limited display of Rada Nadal. It would of been great to have a video loop of every winning point for every championship that he has won playing. I would of loved to see behind the scenes footage of him training as well as interviews with what other players have learned from this legend.

If you are thinking of taking a day to see this then reconsider it, youre probably best to youtube him.

Also, the organisation in lining up was not very good. No information or clear signage to tell you where to go, so everyone lines up at the ‘entrance’ only to be told its not the correct one.

Finally, the Museum shop felt a bit like a Nike Outlet Store, nothing was sorted and there was no real indication of prices. Add to that there is very limited selection to choose from…other than a keyring or drink bottle - it was very disappointing.

Was I glad I went? Yes Would I go back? No Was it worth the €30...

It seems unusual for a Novak Djokovic fan to visit the Rafael Nadal Museum because of the great rivalry between these two tennis legends. Yes, I did and was pleasantly surprised by how the museum was designed. The ticket costs 18 euros for adults. The tour is organized in groups for a certain period of time depending on the number of visitors inside. As you enter the Museum, you will be informed about the rules that apply there and you will watch an impressive visual and sound performance. Right after that you come to the area where there are simulators where you can drive F1, montibike, you can row... on the simulator of course, take part in a quiz about Rafael Nadal, be a tennis referee for a few minutes... On the same level there are rackets that are tennis legends from Rod Laver to Djokovic and Federer. A part of the trophies that Nadal won while playing tennis is on display there. On the level below are the rest of the tennis trophies, also the last one won at Roland Garros. There are also sports props from various sports, and the most impressive is the Renault F1 car from 2005, with which Alonso won the F1 championship. The crown of the visit is a video in which sports legends have said something about Nadal, but which is not allowed to be filmed. After visiting the museum, you can buy some sports equipment with the logo of the Tennis Academy and also visit the restaurant of the Tennis Academy of Rafael Nadal and refresh yourself and also watch the training of the Academy participants from the balcony. Certainly, a...