In 2005, when he was just 19 years old, Nadal won the French Open the first time he competed in the tournament, and his world ranking shot to No. At 17, he became the youngest male to reach the third round at Wimbledon since Boris Becker. (Photo: Thomas Lovelock /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)Īt the age of 16, Nadal made it to the semifinals of the Boys' Singles tournament at Wimbledon. Nadal holding his French Open trophy after defeating Novak Djokovic in 2012. When Nadal was just 12 years old, he won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group. Toni noticed at the time that Nadal played his forehand shots with two hands, so he encouraged him to play left-handed, thinking it could give Nadal an edge on the court. When he was three years old, his uncle, Toni Nadal, a former professional tennis player, started working with him, seeing an aptitude for the sport in young Rafael.Īt the age of eight, Nadal won an under-12 regional tennis championship, giving his Uncle Toni the incentive to step up his training.
Rafael Nadal was born in Mallorca, Spain, on June 3, 1986. Known as the "King of Clay" for his skill playing on clay courts, as well as his topspin-heavy shots and tenacity, Nadal has won a record 13 French Open singles titles and holds the record for first all-time in the men's game with 22 Grand Slam titles. Rafael Nadal began playing tennis at age three and turned pro at 15.
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