Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is a Spanish professional tennis player who is regarded as the best-ever tennis player to ever step on a clay court.
| Date of Birth: | 3 June 1986 |
| Birthplace: | Manacor, Mallorca, Spain |
| Residence: | Manacor, Mallorca, Spain |
| Height: | 6'0" (185 cm) |
| Weight: | 187 lbs (85 kg) |
| Plays: | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro: | 2001 |
Rafael Nadal Parera is one of the most successful tennis players ever, and he's also one of three men who have dominated the ATP Tour for over two decades. Soon after Roger Federer started his dominance, another sheriff appeared in the town, a young Spanish boy with long hair.
Early on, the Spaniard wasn't able to challenge Federer's dominance on the hard and grass courts, but he established himself as a dominant force on the clay courts early on. In fact, he won his first Roland Garros title in 2005 and added another one in 2006, and then in 2007, and also in 2008.
That's pretty much how it went almost every year for Nadal, as he won an incredible 14 Roland Garros titles, and by winning his 14th in 2022, he didn't just extend his record of most majors won at a single tournament but also became the first-ever man to win 22 Grand Slam titles, extending his previous record of 21.
Nadal first rose to the world no. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings in August 2008, and despite his incredible dominance on the clay courts, he couldn't collect nearly as many majors on different surfaces. Yet, the Spaniard still won the Australian Open and Wimbledon twice, and the US Open four times, completing a Career Grand Slam two times in his career.
On top of that, Nadal also completed a Golden Career Grand Slam, as he managed to win the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, beating his rival Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. He's one of the very few players who managed to win over 1000 matches on the ATP Tour, but one big title that he misses in his collection is the ATP Finals trophy, as he reached the final twice, in 2010 and 2013, but never won it.
During his injury-plagued 2023 season, some of Nadal's records were broken by none other than fellow rival Novak Djokovic. The Serbian won his 23rd Grand Slam at the 2023 Roland Garros in Nadal's absence, and he extended his record to 24 Grand Slam titles at the 2023 US Open.
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