Netflix has announced that ‘Rafa’, the documentary series directed by American Zach Heinzerling and produced by Skydance Sports, will premiere on 29 May. The series traces the life and brilliant sporting career of Mallorcan tennis player Rafa Nadal, a sporting icon.
The well-known streaming platform has released the teaser and the first images of a docuseries which, over four episodes, traces “the extraordinary career of Rafael Nadal, combining testimonies from those who know him best, both on and off the court, with previously unseen moments that reveal what lies behind the legend”.
The documentary, featuring figures such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and John McEnroe, offers exclusive access to the champion, his family and his inner circle, from his early days at just three years old to his return to competition in 2024—the last year before the Manacor native’s definitive retirement from the ATP Tour at the age of 38— after a successful career marked by titles, records and victories, but also by injuries.
“I’ve always been driven by the desire to keep fighting,” confesses the winner of 22 Grand Slams in the trailer for his series, an audiovisual account that aims not only to showcase the sporting evolution of one of the most decorated players in tennis history, but also the physical and emotional toll that has marked his journey, as he faces his most constant rival time and again: his own body.
“It paints an intimate and deeply human portrait of one of sport’s greatest legends,” said Netflix, the platform on which ‘Rafa’ will be available to watch from 29 May. The documentary was directed by Zach Heinzerling, an Emmy winner and Oscar nominee (for the documentary “Cutie and the Boxer”), and produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jason Reed and Jon Weinbach for Skydance Sports, which has previously released sports documentaries such as “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys”, ‘WWE: Unreal’ and ‘ELWAY’, as well as ‘AKA Charlie’, which was nominated for Emmy and PGA awards.