Rafael Nadal and Melia Hotels International break ground on a Zel Hotel and tennis academy this May in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
(Photo : Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal meets with young tennis players chosen for his Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy during day seven of the 2019 Brisbane International at Pat Rafter Arena on Jan. 05, 2019, in Brisbane, Australia.

Tennis enthusiasts who vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, will one day get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal partnered with Melia Hotels International in late 2022 to found the Zel Hotel brand, opening its first hotel in the athlete's native Mallorca last year.

This May, Travel Weekly reported on Jan. 12, ground will break for the construction of a Zel Hotel in Punta Cana, and a part of the experience for interested guests will include the Rafa Nadal Tenis Academy.

Zel is a lifestyle and hotel brand that reflects "a refreshing aesthetic based on the spontaneity, energy and family values of the Mediterranean," according to Hotel Designs.

The Punta Cana project marks the Zel brand's debut in the Americas.

"Great news for the Dominican Republic and tennis lovers! Thanks to (Melia Hotels International President) Gabriel Escarrer and the Melia Hotels chain for continuing to bet on innovative, sustainable and 100 percent Dominican tourism," Dominican Republic Minister of Tourism David Collado said in a video of the announcement last November, per Dominican Republic Live.

"Guess who will visit the Dominican Republic next year?" asked Collado, hinting of a 2024 visit to the Caribbean country by Nadal himself.

At 37, Nadal is nearing the end of his tremendous tennis career, during which he's won 22 grand slam tournaments. He's one of the greatest players in all of tennis history - rivaled by Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer - and by far its greatest and most dominant player on clay courts, winning 14 French Open championships.

However, Nadal has many years as a businessman ahead. The Spaniard, according to Travel Weekly, joins soccer superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as sports legends who've gotten into the hotel business.

Melia Hotels intends to expand to 20 Zel-branded properties "over the next five years," Travel Weekly reported, building in cities such as "Madrid, Paris and London."

Tourism is big business in the Dominican Republic. According to Statista, tourists spent $8.9 billion there in 2019, $9 billion in 2022, and are projected to spend $12.4 billion in 2033.