Rafael Nadal Docuseries ‘Rafa’: How a Local Setting, Language and Intimate Lensing Set the Primetime Emmy Contender Apart

Home TV Global Aug 19, 2026 7:22am PT Rafael Nadal Docuseries ‘Rafa’: How a Local Setting, Language and Intimate Lensing Set the Primetime Emmy Contender Apart ‘Rafa’ director Zach Heinzerling and Netflix Spain VP Content Diego Ávalos drill down on the first non-English language docuseries nominated for a Primetime Emmy and its memorable Mallorca family setting By John Hopewell Plus Icon John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent john_hopewell Latest Rafael Nadal Docuseries ‘Rafa’: How a Local Setting, Language and Intimate Lensing Set the Primetime Emmy Contender Apart 8 minutes ago San Sebastián Sets Fatih Akin’s ‘Ghost Song’ as Opening Night Film   5 hours ago Locarno Takeaways: A Charming Olivia Wilde, Navigating an Industry Crunch and One Reason Why There Should Be More Women Filmmakers 5 days ago See All Rafa and his other life in 'Rafa' Courtesy of Netflix Produced by Skydance Sports and Netflix Sports, “Rafa,” a four-part portrait of Spain’s greatest sports icon Rafael Nadal, packs several singular punches.  It’s the first time a non-English language docuseries has ever nominated for a Primetime Emmy, Netflix notes. Also, it takes up Nadal’s story in a largely present tense of early 2024 where he’s not No. 1 in the world, but No. 652, almost 38, nearly a year and a half out without winning a title and plagued by a chronic hip injury. This may be about a last dance. It is certainly about a global icon battling sports players’ biggest challenge: The passage of time.  Related Stories Allison Janney on Playing the President in 'The Diplomat,' Her Broadway 'Seven-Year Itch' and the One Genre She's Never Tried