Rafael Nadal Debuts 'Rafa' Netflix Doc in Madrid
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- Rafael Nadal attended the world premiere of 'Rafa' at Madrid's historic Beti Jai fronton Wednesday, flanked by his father Sebastián, mother Ana Maria Parera, uncle and former coach Toni Nadal, and late-career coach Carlos Moyá.
- The 4-part series premieres on Netflix on May 29, directed by Oscar-nominated Zach Heinzerling and produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jason Reed, and Jon Weinbach for Skydance Sports.
- Nadal told Deadline he had 'refused plenty of times' to do a documentary during his career, agreeing only because filming began in 2024 — 'the last stage of my career' — calling it 'the last opportunity to do it or don't do it.'
- Rivals Roger Federer (20 Grand Slam titles) and Novak Djokovic (24 Grand Slams) both appear in the series alongside John McEnroe, with the premiere drawing Seth Meyers — Heinzerling's brother-in-law — Christiane Amanpour, Ana Patricia Botín, and Carolina Adriana Herrera.
- Nadal retired in 2024 at age 38 with 22 Grand Slam titles, having missed 18 others due to injuries; he turns 40 on June 3, two days after the Netflix debut.
- The first episode received a long standing ovation at the Madrid screening, per a release, with Deadline promising more coverage ahead of the May 29 launch.
Why it matters: Nadal repeatedly blocked documentary pitches throughout his career, so this series exists only because he retired — making it the definitive on-record portrait of a 22-time Grand Slam champion captured during his 2024 farewell season, featuring rivals Federer and Djokovic in the same frame for what may be the last time on screen together.
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