Rafael Nadal: A tennis great and a clay court king

Rafael Nadal entered tennis' big stage in 2005. His victory at the French Open in Paris aged 19, was the beginning of an era of dominance. Until 2020, only in 2009, 2015 and 2016 was the winner of the French Open not Nadal. He won eight of his first 11 tournaments on the ATP Tour on red clay and, for a long time, was reduced to being a clay court specialist.

At the beginning of his career, Nadal (right) repeatedly duked it out with Roger Federer (left), the world's No.1. Nadal was almost always able to beat the Swiss on clay, but he lost in the Wimbledon finals in 2006 and 2007. It was not until 2008 that the Spaniard managed to prevail on the "holy grass" in what remains the longest, and for some the greatest, final in tournament history.

2008 was a very successful year for Nadal. After title wins in Paris and Wimbledon, he also won the Olympic final in Beijing. In the battle for gold, he defeated Chile's Fernando Gonzalez before ousting Roger Federer from the top of the world rankings in August. However, it ended on a bum note as a knee injury forced him into taking the first extended break of his career.

After his recovery, Nadal went on to win his first major tournament on hard court at the Australian Open in January 2009. In the final, he beat Federer in five sets to become the first Spaniard to win in Melbourne. Five months later, however, a lowlight as Nadal lost his first ever match at the French Open and was eliminated in the round of 16.

Having already won in Paris, Wimbledon and Melbourne, Nadal added the US Open title in New York in 2010. His opponent in the final at Flushing Meadows was Novak Djokovic as Nadal became the seventh and youngest player to win each of the four major tournaments at least once since the start of the Open Era in 1968, aged 24.

Although Rafael Nadal is right-handed, he plays tennis with his left hand. This was taught to him at a young age by his uncle and coach Toni Nadal. The Spaniard plays with extreme topspin and has a gift for anticipation, which coupled with his athletic prowess, saw him excel at the highest level.

Nadal's biggest fan is his uncle. Antonio Nadal Homar, known as Toni, is his father's brother and introduced his nephew to tennis when he was four years old, convincing the youngster he could make it to the biggest stage despite Rafa preferring to play football. "Uncle Toni" remained Nadal's coach until 2017, and saw him win 16 Grand Slams in that time.

Nadal has been in a relationship with Maria Francisca Perello since 2005. The 33-year-old, who studied economics in London, prefers to stay in the background. For 10 years, she has been looking after Nadal's foundation, the "Fundacion Rafa Nadal," which is committed to the integration and development of disadvantaged children in Spain and India. They had their first child together in 2022.

Nadal holds numerous records including for a run of 81 consecutive matches won on clay. The Spaniard never lost a final at the French Open, winning 14 titles – more than any other player. Between 2005 and 2014, he won at least one Grand Slam for 10 years in a row. Perhaps the most impressive is the 23 times Nadal defeated the current world No. 1.

However, Nadal's game is intense and energy-sapping. Early on in his career, the question arose as to how long his body could take the strain. His shoulder, back and knee problems all saw him sidelined for significant periods. A degenerative disease in his foot made success even harder. Despite that he enjoyed a remarkably long career.

In 2021, the foot injury became more severe than ever before. After the semifinal exit in Paris, Nadal said "honestly, I've been suffering with my foot for a year much more than I should and I need to take some time." After a brief comeback, he ended the season early and by the end of the year his future on the ATP Tour looked uncertain.

Against the odds, Nadal bounced back to win both the Australian Open and French Open in 2022, taking his Grand Slam tally to 22. That last remarkable comeback season marked the beginning of the end though, as his physical issues persisted. He had hip surgery in 2023 and warned that 2024 was likely to be his last as a player.

And so, on October 10, 2024, Nadal announced he was retiring from tennis. His final appearance came in November, as Nadal lost in front of a home crowd in Spain in the Davis Cup Finals. For Nadal, it marks a full circle moment as he returns to the competition that he won with Spain in 2004 in Seville, marking the start of a special career.