Watch with Rafa, Daniel Rincon completes a full-circle victory at Nadal Academy | ATP Journey

Challenger

Watch with Rafa, Rincon completes a full-circle victory at Nadal Academy

The 22-year-old reflects on the second challenger title

September 22, 2025

Daniel Rincon glanced from the baseline and suddenly freezes. The Spaniards led 2-0 in the ATP Challenger Tour at Movistar at Rafa Nadal Academy, and the Spaniards found Rafael Nadal himself watching from the stands.

“I saw him watching, I lost six games in a row,” Lincoln said with a smile. “I’m a little tight there.”

The nerves don’t derail for a long time. The 22-year-old reorganized, won the competition, and then won the trophy where he trained and graduated in 2021.

When in the final, Lincoln found former world No. 1 Nadal again to watch, even though the game was almost over, so Lincoln “didn’t have much time to think about it.”

Lincoln (Rincon) won the field in his footsteps – with friends, family and other supporters (like Rafa!) – completing a full moment for him.

“It’s by far the best week of my life,” said the 209 players in the PIF ATP ranking. “I thought about how I’d be doing before the finals, or how I could win there, but it’s more than I thought. It’s incredible.”

Rincon’s Challenger Wins are full of memorable moments. Last year, when he won his first Challenger Championship in Tampere, Finland, his luggage was lost. He fought in the opening match with only three rackets, borrowed strings and grips.

“I was carrying a small bag on the court and I looked like an amateur player to practice on Sunday,” Lincoln said at the time. “Wearing only three T-shirts, I have to do laundry every day.”

At Manacor, the 22-year-old rose from 2-5 in the third set of his first two games, and also needed a decision-maker in his quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Although Lincoln had no chance to talk to the 92-time Touring Titration List during the game, Nadal’s presence joined Storybook Week.

“In the second round, I knew he was coming,” Lincoln said. “I had people close to him, and they knew he had to come and do some media stuff and he would leave a little for the game, so I tried not to watch it, but at the same time it looked like, ‘When will he come?’ So on the first day, I was basically looking for him.”

Rincon has a deep connection with Rafa Nadal Academy. He first arrived at the state-of-the-art facility in September 2019. The Manacor Challenger Final competed on his first day, so he would one day have a special victory in the same event.

Rincon reflected on his journey: “Now I actually played the finals, who only thinks about the two suitcases I would have played there when I was 16?”

Daniel Rincon’s victory on Manacor Challenger. “style =”Width: 100%;”
^{Credit: Alvaro Diaz/Rafa Nadal open to Movistar}