Nadal Partners with Hyatt to Open First Southeast Asia Tennis Center in the 'Next Bali'
Tennis star Nadal's tennis academy, Rafa Nadal Academy, has announced that it will open a brand-new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Lombok Island, Indonesia's resort destination. The center is expected to open in the first quarter of 2028. This marks the first time Nadal's tennis education ecosystem has landed in Southeast Asia.
Lombok Island, located east of Bali, is picturesque but relatively less visited by tourists. In recent years, the Indonesian government has vigorously promoted the Lombok transformation plan, aiming to turn it into the next Bali. The plan has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, including a $250 million loan from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for infrastructure and large commercial projects.
In 2025, 81,500 foreign tourists arrived at Lombok's airport, a 40% increase from the previous year.
The Lombok Rafa Nadal Tennis Center will be located at Samara Lombok—a large luxury mixed-use resort currently under construction on Lombok's southern coast, developed by Singapore's Rascal Republic Group and operated by Hyatt Hotels Corporation. It will become Hyatt's “Destination by Hyatt” brand's first project in Southeast Asia, expected to officially operate in the first quarter of 2028.
Above: Hyatt's Samara Lombok
Samara Lombok is just a 25-minute drive from Lombok International Airport, covering 150 hectares, with plans for 500 residential villas. Initially, it will open three boutique hotels and 150 villas. These villas come in 12 designs, ranging from two-bedroom to five-bedroom units, offering 90-year leaseholds, which is longer than the typical 25-30 year lease terms common in Bali and most of Indonesia.
The destination will be a "destination community" combining luxury hotels, private villas, top-tier sports facilities, diverse dining, and rich experiences, catering to vacationers, investors, and those seeking a second home.
The Lombok Tennis Center is a key part of the global expansion of the Rafa Nadal Academy. Currently, the academy has established 2 branch campuses (in Manacor, Spain, and Kuwait) and 5 tennis centers.
The academy focuses on systematic tennis education, while the tennis centers are mostly located within high-end resorts or residential communities, combining tennis with leisure vacations and offering more flexible course schedules. Existing tennis centers are located in Costa Mujeres, Mexico; Sani, Greece; Hong Kong, China; Marbella, Spain; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Additionally, the first tennis center in Brazil is also planned to officially open in 2028.
The Lombok Rafa Nadal Tennis Center will feature 4 tennis courts and 4 padel courts, offering sports programs for players of all ages and skill levels. All training follows the unique methodology developed by Nadal and his technical team based on over two decades of experience on the professional tour.
Above: Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Hong Kong, China
| Source: Official press release, BBC, World Bank, businesstraveller
| Image credit: Rafa Nadal Academy, Hyatt Hotels official website