Málaga City Council has opened a tender for two municipal plots earmarked for a proposed tennis and sports complex promoted by Marbella-based developer Sierra Blanca in partnership with Rafa Nadal. The sites are the now-closed Inacua racket-sports centre and an adjoining plot on Avenida Imperio Argentina.
The concession would run for 50 years, with a possible extension. The council is seeking an annual fee of at least €542,922, although the tender allows the operator to pay nothing during the first two years while construction takes place. Bids can be submitted until 30 November.
The proposal envisages an initial investment of about €35 million. Plans include 14 tennis courts, with clay and hard-court surfaces, and 13 padel courts, alongside swimming, fitness, multi-purpose sports halls, wellness facilities, restaurants, a specialist shop and a sports museum. Buildings could reach five storeys, according to the tender details.
Two residences are central to the scheme. A sports residence of at least 60 rooms on the main site would host players on training programmes and sports camps, as well as coaches and referees. The separate student residence on Avenida Imperio Argentina would serve students combining education with sport and club training. The tender rules out using either residence for tourist accommodation or conventional hotel use.
The council’s planning estimates put the construction period at two years, with the complex expected to reach full operating capacity in its eighth year. At that point, projected annual revenue is €19.43 million and operating costs €14.04 million. The study estimates annual net profit, after taxes and depreciation, at about €4.39 million. These are projections in the municipal viability assessment, not guaranteed returns.
The tender also sets public-benefit requirements. The operator would need to maintain a collaboration agreement with the Rafa Nadal Academy for at least ten years, provide six annual scholarships—three for tennis and three for padel—and offer discounts of 20% to 50% to specified groups, including pensioners, unemployed people, people with disabilities and large families. Court time must also be reserved for school tournaments and municipal sports games.
Bids will be assessed on a 100-point scale. Up to 60 points are available through formula-based criteria, including construction investment and the concession fee; up to 37 through qualitative assessment of the facilities, residences and sporting links; and three for collaboration with the council and social improvements. The project must be linked to an internationally renowned tennis figure, a condition the proposal is designed to meet through its association with Nadal.
The council’s tender process is now the next step; the proposed complex is not yet an operating facility. If selected, the successful bidder would proceed with the development and construction under the concession terms.