* Birthplace: Manacor, Mallorca, Spain
Name at birth: Rafael Nadal-Parera
Rafael Nadal was 19 years and two days old when he won the 2005 French Open in his very first appearance at the event. A left-hander with a booming forehand, Nadal had been known as a clay-court specialist since playing his first pro tournaments in 2001. His aggressive style, flowing hair and muscular build have made him a consistent favorite with female fans as well. He won his first singles title in 2004, and had a breakout season in 2005, winning at Monte Carlo, Rome, Barcelona and Stuttgart as well as at Roland Garros. He won the French Open again in 2006, 2007 and 2008, defeating Roger Federer in the final each time. In 2008 he broke through at Wimbledon, beating Federer to win the men's singles title there. No longer just a master of clay, he beat Federer at the hard-court Australian Open in 2009, confirming his #1 ranking in the world.
Though his full name is Rafael Nadal-Parera, he is generally known simply as Rafael Nadal... According to the ATP Tour site, his name is pronounced "ra-FAY-el nay-DAHL." The ATP also says he is nicknamed "Rafa"... Nadal beat Mariano Puerta in the 2005 French Open finals; he beat Federer in the semifinals that year... Mallorca is one of the Balearic Islands, which stand in the Mediterranean Ocean off the coast of Spain.
Family and early life
Rafael Nadal was born in Manacor, Majorca to Sebastián Nadal and Ana María Parera. He has a younger sister named María Isabel. His uncle, Miguel Ángel Nadal, is a retired professional football (soccer) player, having played for RCD Mallorca, FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team.[7] Nadal supports football clubs Real Madrid and RCD Mallorca.[8] Recognizing that Rafael had a natural talent for tennis, his other uncle, Toni Nadal, a former professional tennis player, introduced him to tennis when he was three years old. Toni Nadal has been coaching him ever since.[9]
At age eight, Nadal won an under-12 year regional tennis championship at a time when he was also a promising football player.[10] This made Toni Nadal intensify training, and at that time he encouraged Nadal to play left-handed—for a natural advantage on the tennis court, as he noticed Nadal played forehand shots with two hands.[10] When Nadal was 12, he won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group and was playing tennis and football all the time.[10] Nadal's father made him choose between football and tennis so that his school work would not deteriorate entirely. Nadal said: "I chose tennis. Football had to stop straight away."[10]
When he was 14, the Spanish tennis federation requested that he leave Mallorca and move to Barcelona to continue his tennis progression and training. Nadal's family turned down this request, partly because they feared it would hurt his education,[10] but also because Toni Nadal said that "I don't want to believe that you have to go to America, or other places to be a good athlete. You can do it from your home."[9] The decision to stay home meant that Nadal received less financial support from the federation; instead Nadal's father covered the costs. In May 2001, he defeated former Grand Slam champion Pat Cash in a clay-court exhibition match.[7]
Nadal participated in two events on the ITF junior circuit. In 2002, at the age of 16, Nadal reached the semifinals of the Boy's Singles tournament at Wimbledon, in his first ITF junior event.[11] Later that year, Nadal won all of his matches en-route to a winning campaign with Spain, over the US, in the junior Davis Cup in his second, and final, appearance on the ITF junior circuit.
By the age of 17, Nadal was ranked in the world's top 50 players. In 2003, Rafael had won the ATP Newcomer of the Year Award.
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