This is the new location selected for a Rafa Nadal tennis academy on the Costa del Sol

Plans for a Rafa Nadal Academy in Malaga city are accelerating. The project of Marbella developer, Sierra Blanca Estates, to have a first class tennis centre on the Costa del Sol has taken a decisive turn in recent days.

At the end of March it became known that Sierra Blanca and Nadal had set their sights on the plot of land that currently houses the Martín Carpena sports arena car park in the city to develop this unique sports facility. However, the procedures that would have to be completed to execute the project in that location could take more than two years, so the promoters of the idea have opted to completely change this initial approach and opt for a much quicker one.

As SUR has learned, the Rafa Nadal Academy in Malaga will be located at the the facilities of the existing Inacua centre on Calle Marilyn Monroe, which last week was visited by the tennis star's father, Sebastian Nadal, and the tennis player and director of international development of Rafa Nadal Academy, Carlos Costa.

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As a result, Sierra Blanca has practically closed an agreement with the current concessionaire of the centre, which was built a decade ago on land owned by Malaga city council, to replace it during the remaining ten years of the concession. In addition, it will carry out a total transformation of the facilities, which would be extended with the occupation of some 5,000 square metres that are still vacant.

The project was awarded by the town hall to the Ferrovial company in 2014 with a concession period of 20 years, which could be extended to a maximum of 40 years by means of five-year extensions. Currently, both these facilities, mainly for tennis, and those located on an adjacent plot for swimming pools, are operated by the company Serveo, Ferrovial's current services company in which the construction company holds a quarter of the shares and the remaining shares have been in the hands of the Portobello fund since the beginning of last year.

According to sources consulted by SUR, the agreement between Sierra Blanca and Serveo for the Marbella developer to acquire the shares of the concessionary company of the sports centre in Malaga has been finalised. Nadal's club in Malaga city could be developed on 22,580 square metres of land which will be completely transformed.

A tennis centre will be created with a large central court to host major competitions, as well as other complementary courts, as well as offices, a museum, a restaurant and a gymnasium. The investment required for all these works will be made by Sierra Blanca, the Costa del Sol developer founded by Pedro Rodríguez.

According to the sources consulted, Nadal's club would not include the Inacua pools, which are part of a separate concession, although also operated by Serveo, to which the city hall has just approved an extension of one more year of operation to complete repair projects of the building.