* Born: 3 June 1986
* Birthplace: Manacor, Mallorca, Spain
* Best Known As: The winner of four straight French Opens (2005-08)
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.
Playing style:
Nadal generally plays an aggressive behind-the-baseline game founded on heavy topspin groundstrokes, consistency, speedy footwork, and tenacious court coverage.[82] Known for his athleticism and speed around the court, Nadal is a capable defender[83] who hits well on the run, constructing winning plays from seemingly defensive positions. He is a counter-puncher. He also plays very fine dropshots, which work especially well because his heavy topspin often forces opponents to the back of the court.[84] Nadal is primarily a baseliner and seldom volleys but when he does come to the net he is a capable volleyer.
Nadal employs a full western grip forehand, often with a "lasso-whip" follow through, where his left arm hits through the ball and finishes above his left shoulder—as opposed to a more traditional finish across the body or around his opposite shoulder.[85][86] Nadal's forehand groundstroke form allows him to hit shots with heavy topspin—more so than many of his contemporaries.[87] San Francisco tennis researcher John Yandell used a high-speed video camera and special software to count the average number of revolutions of a tennis ball hit full force by Nadal. "The first guys we did were Sampras and Agassi. They were hitting forehands that in general were spinning about 1,800 to 1,900 revolutions per minute. Federer is hitting with an amazing amount of spin, too, right? 2,700 revolutions per minute. Well, we measured one forehand Nadal hit at 4,900. His average was 3,200." [88] While Nadal's shots tend to land short of the baseline, the characteristically high bounces his forehands achieve tend to mitigate the advantage an opponent would normally gain from capitalizing on a short ball.[89] Although his forehand is based on heavy topspin he can hit the ball deep and flat with a more orthodox follow through for clean winners.
Nadal has developed his serve into a solid weapon since his earlier years as a pro.[82] Nadal is able to deliver a high percentage of first serves, struck with moderate pace and placed strategically.[82] Nadal's second serve usually employs a hard left-handed slice towards right-handed opponents' backhands. Nadal relies on the consistency of his serve to gain a strategic advantage in points, rather than going for service winners.[90]
Nadal's mental resilience and strategic approach to the game are other noted strengths. Nadal is able to avoid discouragement regardless of match score, allowing him to singularly focus on winning the current point and gaining an advantage. As a strategic player, Nadal can assess outside variables such as court surface, weather conditions, and his opponent's tactics in order to adjust his own play to best adapt to present conditions.[91]
Although once considered a clay court specialist, Nadal has shed that label due to his success on the tournaments played on other surfaces, including holding Grand Slams simultaneously on grass, hard courts, and clay, winning five Masters series titles on hardcourt, and winning the Olympic gold medal on hardcourt.[82][92][93] Despite praise for Nadal's talent and skill, some have questioned his longevity in the sport, citing his build and playing style as conducive to injury.[94] Nadal himself has admitted to the physical toll hard courts place on ATP Tour players, calling for a reevaluated tour schedule featuring fewer hard court tournaments
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