RAFAEL NADAL
G'day folks,
Welcome to the life of a great tennis player. Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player
currently ranked world No. 4. He is widely regarded as the greatest
clay-court player in history.
He has won a record nine French Open singles titles and
is one of only two men to win all four majors and Olympic gold.
“Always I
believe that I can play better. But I am happy.”
—Rafael
Nadal
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.
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.
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."
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.
After
winning the 2015 MercedesCup in Germany, Nadal stumbled in a second-round loss
to Dustin Brown at Wimbledon. He then fell to Fabio Fognini in the third
round of the U.S. Open, snapping his streak of 10 consecutive years with at
least one Grand Slam title.
The 2016
season brought more mixed results for the hard-hitting Spaniard. After
suffering a first-round loss at the Australian Open in January, he rebounded to
win titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. However, Nadal's attempts to play
through a nagging wrist injury took its toll, and he was forced to pull out of
his favorite tournament, the French Open, after two rounds.
Clancy's comment: Wow, what a record, eh? I like his style on and off the court. Mm ... He certainly shows more manners than some of the young brats Australia has. Amen.
I'm ...
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