London


<p>Wimbledon&#8217;s around the corner and Netflix has just dropped<em> <u><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81785900" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rafa</a></u></em>, the new documentary about tennis ace Rafal Nadal, all of which is inspiring us to get on court. Trouble is, it&#8217;s been a while and we could do with brushing up our skills. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Rafa | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tQ31ScZSYFQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>The answer? A long weekend at&nbsp;<a href="https://doncarlosresort.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><u>Don Carlos Marbella</u></a>&nbsp;in southern Spain, which is home to the&nbsp;<a href="https://doncarlosresort.com/en/rafa-nadal-tennis-center/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><u>Rafa&nbsp;Nadal Tennis Center</u></a>, where you train like a pro (then hit the pool bar if you fancy it). </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sounds-good-what-exactly-will-i-be-doing">Sounds good. What exactly will I be doing? </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-1024x576.jpg" alt="Rafa Nadal in training " class="wp-image-21844" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rafa Nadal at training </figcaption></figure>



<p>If Netflix&#8217;s insightful four-parter into Nadal’s career, mindset and training philosophy has made you want to follow in his footsteps, a break at this luxury resort with seven clay courts gives you the chance to try it out for yourself &#8211; minus the emotional break downs. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/MVC260029773-Hotel-Don-Carlos-Marbella-Rafa-Nadal-Tennis-Center-Main-Court-Web-1024x683.jpg" alt="tennis court at Rafa Nadal Academy in Mbarbella " class="wp-image-21839" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/MVC260029773-Hotel-Don-Carlos-Marbella-Rafa-Nadal-Tennis-Center-Main-Court-Web-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/MVC260029773-Hotel-Don-Carlos-Marbella-Rafa-Nadal-Tennis-Center-Main-Court-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/MVC260029773-Hotel-Don-Carlos-Marbella-Rafa-Nadal-Tennis-Center-Main-Court-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/MVC260029773-Hotel-Don-Carlos-Marbella-Rafa-Nadal-Tennis-Center-Main-Court-Web.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hotel Don Carlos Marbella,  Malaga,  Spain Rafa Nadal Tennis Center Main Court</figcaption></figure>



<p>There&#8217;s<em> a lot </em>of tennis options to choose from, including one, three and six-day courses packed full of one-to-one lessons, two-hour group training sessions and assessments to establish where you&#8217;re at in the game and how you can improve &#8211; there&#8217;s even a high tech, AI Wingfield system which captures your every stroke, movement and metric for analysis. </p>



<p>The good news is that there&#8217;s something for everyone, so whether you&#8217;re an adult or junior (10-17 years), beginner or pro, you&#8217;re going to benefit and there&#8217;s the option to concentrate on specific areas (oh hey weak serve). </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-3-1024x576.jpg" alt="Rafa nadal " class="wp-image-21845" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Rafa-3.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sweat like Rafa</figcaption></figure>



<p>And if you want the full Nadal experience, you can always opt for a Tennis &amp; Fitness programme, inspired by Rafa and his team&#8217;s training system refined over 15 years on the professional circuit and designed to build endurance, strength and agility (ie you will be running around a lot, doing squats and sweating).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-m-over-tennis-is-there-padel">I&#8217;m over tennis, is there padel? </h2>



<p>If you&#8217;re too Gen Z for tennis, don&#8217;t panic, there are two padel courts overlooking the sparkling Med which you can sprint around on to your hearts&#8217; content. And you might also want to use the state-of-art indoor gym with outside training area overlooking the courts. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-then-i-m-not-serving-aces">And then I&#8217;m not serving aces? </h2>



<p>Don Carlos Marbella recently had a cool €45 million renovation, so leisure time&#8217;s not exactly shabby. If you&#8217;re planning on keeping as healthy a regime as Rafa during your stay, then it&#8217;s all about the spa and wellness area with water circuit, yoga, Natura Bissé massages and cold-pressed juices at the Oasis Kitchen. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Don_Carlos_SPA_Pool-1024x683.jpg" alt="spa pool at Don Carlos Marbella " class="wp-image-21838" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Don_Carlos_SPA_Pool-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Don_Carlos_SPA_Pool-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Don_Carlos_SPA_Pool-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Don_Carlos_SPA_Pool.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Spa pool at Hotel Don Carlos Marbella</figcaption></figure>



<p>If, however, you&#8217;re more in the Andre Agassi/Boris Becker school of training, you might be tempted to visit Lucia Marbella, the hotel&#8217;s new beach club, party the afternoon away at Nikki Beach, and sip sundowners on the terrace of funky bistro Manero, which has an al fresco cocktail bar. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Pool_Bali_Beds-1024x683.jpg" alt="Pool at Don Carlos Marbella " class="wp-image-21836" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Pool_Bali_Beds-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Pool_Bali_Beds-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Pool_Bali_Beds-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Pool_Bali_Beds.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bali day beds at Hotel Don Carlos Marbella</figcaption></figure>



<p>When hunger strikes, Sol restaurant serves delicious Spanish dishes on Balinese day beds by the pool, or try the freshest seafood at Sombra. Finish the day with a nifty night cap at the cute Sherry Bar in the hotel&#8217;s lobby before hitting the cloud-like beds and dreaming of the perfect backhand. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-go-there">Go there! </h2>



<p>Rooms at <a href="https://doncarlosresort.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><u>Don Carlos Marbella</u></a> from £446pn in June; one-day tennis programme, £85. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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<li><a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/ruby-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why lean luxury is London&#8217;s hottest hotel trend </a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/uk/travel-guides/rivals-style-cotswolds-travel-guide/">Live the&nbsp;<em>Rivals</em>&nbsp;life in The Cotswolds: Where to eat, stay &amp; play</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/great-value-all-inclusive-holidays-2026-tui-blue-deals/">Sun, sangria &amp; great value holidays: the TUI BLUE deals we’re eyeing up</a></li>
</ul>


Train like tennis ace Rafa Nadal at his Marbella academy

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