Rafa Nadal Tour's first leg under way in Barcelona; Spaniard reacts

The first leg of the Rafa Nadal Tour, a junior tennis charity tournament, is currently underway at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona

The tour, founded by the World No. 2 in 2014, aims to promote tennis players from different age categories. It is held annually across several cities in Spain, comprising male and female players from the U-12, U-14 and U-16 age brackets who are part of his academy.

For the 2023 season, the tour kicked off in Barcelona and upcoming rounds are expected to take place in cities including Sevilla and Valencia from February.

The Spaniard took to social media on Sunday to commemorate the successful progression of the initial rounds of the tour.

Rafael Nadal's Instagram story on Sunday

Through the tour's Instagram handle, the organizers expressed their delight at having witnessed the enthusiasm of the young players who took part in the tournament, sharing snapshots of them fighting it out on the clay courts of Barcelona.

"What a great atmosphere to breathe in this first leg of the Rafa Nadal Tour by @santander_es. We love to see all the enthusiasm and effort you put into every game, let's keep going! Thank you to @rctb1899 for being such great hosts and making us feel at home," a post was captioned.

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Rafa Nadal Academy is about instilling values beyond tennis, says Jaume Munar

Rafael Nadal meets young tennis players chosen for his academy during the 2019 Brisbane International

World No. 58 Jaume Munar, who has been part of the Rafa Nadal Academy for several years, expressed that the academy focuses on instilling important life values in its students that are beyond tennis.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Munar opened up about the experiences he gained upon training in the 22-time Grand Slam champion's academy.

"I’ve been in the academy for a lot of years. I’ve been working there with so many people. I’ve been sharing moments with players, with Toni, with Rafa. I think that anyone who spends time there is going to have success," the 25-year-old stated.

Munar feels that the academy is not just about producing great tennis players as they focus on inspiring students to follow basic life principles.

"It’s not only about being a great tennis player, but also to be a good person. The values that they are trying to inculcate in people is the best," Munar asserted.

The Spaniard also conveyed that if he gets the chance, he will "hundred percent" make his future kids join the academy.

"Hundred percent, if I have the chance, I’ll keep my kids there. I’m really trying to let the people know that the academy is a great place to be," said Munar.