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RAFAEL NADAL

Great spanish tennist Rafael Nadal has won a record nine French Open singles titles and is one of only two men to win all four majors and Olympic gold.

QUOTES “Always I believe that I can play better. But I am happy.” — Rafael Nadal

Synopsis Born in Spain in 1986, Rafael Nadal began playing tennis at age 3 and turned pro at 15. Known for his topspin-heavy shots and tenacity, he claimed the first of a record nine French Open singles titles in 2005, and competed the career Golden Slam by winning the U.S. Open in 2010. Sidelined by a knee injury in 2012, Nadal rebounded to win two more major championships in 2013. Early Years Rafael Nadal was born in Mallorca, Spain, on June 3, 1986. When he was 3 years old, his uncle, Toni Nadal, a former professional tennis player, started working with him, seeing an aptitude for the sport in young Rafael. At the age of 8, Nadal won an under-12 regional tennis championship, giving Uncle Toni the incentive to step up his training. Toni noticed at the time that Rafael played his forehand shots with two hands, so he encouraged him to play left-handed, thinking it could give Rafael an edge on the court. When Nadal was just 12 years old, he won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group. He turned professional at age 15. A Young Professional At the age of 16, Nadal made it to the semifinals of the Boys' Singles tournament at Wimbledon. At 17, he became the youngest male to reach the third round at Wimbledon since Boris Becker. At the age of 19, in 2005, Nadal won the French Open the first time he competed in the tournament, and his world ranking shot to No. 3. Nadal won 11 singles titles that year, eight of which were on clay, and he was soon dubbed the "King of Clay." Hitting His Stride Despite enduring shoulder and foot injuries, Nadal won his second straight French Open and added four more titles in 2006. The following year, he won again at Roland Garros and took home five other titles. Nadal poured it on in 2008, winning the French Open again, in addition to winning Wimbledon—where he beat rival Roger Federer in the longest final in Wimbledon history—as well as gold at the Beijing Olympics. After Wimbledon, Nadal's winning streak stood at a career-best 32 matches. With his powerful topspin-heavy shots, speed and mental toughness, Nadal reigned as one of the "Big Four" of men's tennis (along with Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray) for the next several years. He took over as the world's No. 1 in 2008, and won his first Australian Open in 2009. In 2010, he was triumphant at the French Open and Wimbledon, and his subsequent win at the U.S. Open made him just the second men's player to achieve the career Golden Slam—victories at all four majors, as well as Olympic gold. The following year, Nadal led the Spanish Davis Cup team to victory for the fourth time, but he surrendered his No. 1 ranking after losing to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. He gained some revenge by defeating the Serbian star at Roland Garros the following spring to claim a record seventh French Open singles crown. However, Nadal followed with a surprising second-round loss to Czech player Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon, a match some commentators labeled one the biggest upsets in tennis history. Afterward, Nadal announced he was withdrawing from the 2012 Summer Olympics due to knee tendinitis, an injury that knocked him out of action for several months. In June 2013, Nadal won his eighth French Open title by defeating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in straight sets. "I never like to compare years, but it's true that this year means something very special for me," Nadal said after the match, in an interview with ESPN. "Five months ago nobody of my team dreamed about one comeback like this because we thought that [was] going to be impossible. But here we are today, and that's really fantastic and incredible." Later that month at Wimbledon, Nadal lost in straight sets in the first round to Belgium's Steve Darcis. It was a shock to tennis fans who expected a strong performance from the Spanish player, leading to speculation about the state of his health and overall game. But Nadal was back on the upswing by the U.S. Open, where he defeated Djokovic to win his second championship at the tournament. The win helped propel Nadal back to the top spot in the world that October. In June 2014, Nadal won his ninth French Open championship by topping Djokovic in four sets. It was his 14th Grand Slam title, tying him with Pete Sampras for second all-time behind the 17 won by Federer. However, he withdrew from the 2014 U.S. Open in August, citing a wrist injury, and played a limited schedule for the remainder of the year. Nadal advanced through the field at the 2015 Australian Open, but his physical capabilities appeared compromised when he fell to hard-hitting Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. He then suffered a stunning quarterfinal loss to Djokovic at the French Open, his first defeat at the tournament since 2009 and just the second overall of his career.