Biography

Since bursting onto the world tennis stage as a teenager, Rafael Nadal has established himself as one of the finest players of his generation. In April 2002 he became only the ninth player in the Open Era to win an ATP match before the age of 16 and by 2005 he was already a Grand Slam champion.

Nadal’s 2005 French Open victory, just after he turned 19, meant he was only the third player to win a Slam on his first attempt and was the first teenager for win a major for 15 years. Clay courts are Nadal’s main area of expertise and he holds several records on this surface, including the longest winning streak of all-time (81, set between 2005 and 2007). But he has also established himself on other surfaces, with titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon on his CV by the age of 22. His 2008 Wimbledon Final victory over Roger Federer is generally regarded as one of the greatest matches of all-time.