Rafa Nadal Academy Plans First Southeast Asia Tennis Centre in Lombok

Lombok — — Rafael Nadal’s academy says it will open a new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Lombok as part of the Samara Lombok development, marking what it describes as the first Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Southeast Asia.

In an announcement published on July 27, 2026, the Rafa Nadal Academy said the centre will be located within the Samara Lombok resort on the island’s southern coast, about 25 minutes from Lombok International Airport. The same announcement said Samara Lombok is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2028.

The academy said the Lombok venue will include four tennis courts and four padel courts, with programmes for players of all ages and abilities based on the training methodology developed by Nadal and his technical team. A separate report by TTG Asia said the centre will open as part of Samara Lombok, a 150-hectare integrated coastal destination due to welcome guests in 1Q2028.

Local reporting in Indonesia also identified the project as Southeast Asia’s first Rafa Nadal Tennis Center and said it will be built in Samara Lombok, in Torok Aik Belek, Selong Belanak, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. That report said the sports facility is scheduled to open together with the first phase of Samara Lombok in the first quarter of 2028.

According to the academy’s announcement, the wider Samara Lombok project is planned to begin with three boutique hotels and 150 villas, within a longer-term development that includes 500 residential villas. The resort is also described as the first Destination by Hyatt in Southeast Asia.

The previously circulated draft referred to a date in August 2026, but the sources reviewed here place the project announcement in late July 2026 and the opening target in early 2028. No public statement reviewed for this story provided a final opening date for the tennis centre beyond that timetable.

Project details published so far

• Location: Samara Lombok, southern Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara
• Status: Planned Rafa Nadal Tennis Center
• Courts: Four tennis courts and four padel courts
• Opening target: First quarter of 2028
• Project scale: Samara Lombok is described as a 150-hectare development

The project adds to Lombok’s growing profile as a premium tourism destination, combining sport and resort development in one integrated site. Its final footprint, access arrangements and operating model will depend on the implementation of the Samara Lombok project and the tennis centre’s launch schedule.

Sources

• Rafa Nadal Academy
• TTG Asia
• Detik Bali
• Indonesia Expat