Mallorca tennis legend Rafa Nadal, 22-time Grand Slam winner, 14 of them at Roland Garros, will have a documentary series about his life and sporting career, with “unprecedented access” to his return to the courts in 2024, the season of his retirement, which will be produced by Netflix and Skydance Sports and has no confirmed […]
“The docuseries will focus on Nadal’s stellar career as well as his life off the court, showcasing never-before-seen footage from his personal archive and through unprecedented access to the tennis star, his family and his close circle of coaches and advisors,” Netflix said in a statement.
Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Zach Heinzerling (Stolen Youth, Cutie and the Boxer, McCartney 3,2,1) directs the as-yet-untitled docuseries, which is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jason Reed and Jon Weinbach for Skydance Sports. “I never thought I would do something like this, but I got a call from David Ellison and his words and the project they put in front of me convinced me to do it. You will be able to see what my life has been like throughout my career and especially during this last year which has not been easy. You will also be able to see how my life and career have evolved over the years,” said Rafa Nadal.
“I am sure that the result, the docuseries, will be incredible and will be seen all over the world. I am grateful to David Ellison and the Skydance team for creating and believing in this project. Also to my family and crew for allowing the cameras to film them this time, I know it has not been easy; to my colleagues and teammates who have been generous with their time in front of the cameras; and to the tournaments around the world that have facilitated the work. It has not been easy,” he added.
Diego Ávalos, Netflix’s vice-president of content for Spain, Portugal and Nordic countries, highlighted Nadal’s global dimension. “Rafael Nadal is one of the biggest and most influential figures in sport. We are excited to present his extraordinary story to our members, offering an intimate insight into his journey to becoming the legend he is today,” he explained.
For the project, Netflix is teaming up with Skydance Sports, a company created in 2021, with which it has already worked on other projects such as documentaries on NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Dallas Cowboys dynasty.