Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal Parera was a Spanish tennis player born June 3, 1986 in Manacor.
It is considered by many experts as the greatest clay court player in tennis history, establishing in fact major record on this surface, and the One of the best players of all time. Winner of eight Grand Slam tournaments, he won Roland Garros in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. He also triumphed at Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010, Australian Open 2009 2008 Olympic Games. He also holds the outright record of eighteen wins 1000 Masters career.
After being ranked No. 2 in the world for 160 consecutive weeks (a record), he became world No. 1 August 18, 2008 to July 6 2009, dethroning Roger Federer for forty-six weeks. It takes first place in the world after his victory at Roland Garros June 7, 2010.
Life
Rafael Nadal was born June 3, 1986 in Spain. It is the first child to Sebastián Nadal and Ana María Parera. He has a younger sister named María Isabel. His uncle Miguel Angel is a former player of FC Barcelona, RCD Mallorca and Spanish national team during the 1990s. Nadal is a fan club of Real Madrid and RCD Mallorca. Toni Nadal, another of his uncles, his coach is, from an early age. He also plays football, but much prefer tennis: "I thing tennis. Football Had to stop straight away "(" I chose tennis. I had to quit football immediately "). When he was fourteen, the Spanish tennis federation asked him to leave his hometown to move to Barcelona in order to continue his training. Nadal's family refused, partly because she feared for his teaching, but also because Toni Nadal thought it was unnecessary for his nephew to leave the house better. The decision to stay at home led the federation to revise downward its financial support, the player's father has not provided the funds offered by the federation.
Nadal has an affair with his childhood sweetheart Maria Francesca Perello, also Mallorcan.
On October 21, 2008, he was appointed by the web site Ask Men 30th most influential man in the world.
The French monthly magazine reveals Tennis, Nadal has made a break in his career between Roland Garros and the U.S. tour of 2009 not only due to his knee pain but also because the divorce of his parents had disturbed and that he "had lost the desire to play."
Youth
From a very young age, Rafael Nadal practice different sports like football or basketball, but tennis, his sport from its four years, which reveals his athletic potential. Toni Nadal, his uncle, soon became his coach and teaches his nephew to play with the left arm. Rafael is right handed, he believes that his two-handed backhand would benefit from a strong right arm. The first official competition was that of Rafael Nadal won the Balearic that at the age of 8 years. He subsequently won many other tournaments in its class.
In 2000, Nadal won the tournament for the Little As "Tarbes, the unofficial world championship of 13-14 years.
In May 2001, former Grand Slam winner Pat Cash went to Mallorca to play an exhibition match against Boris Becker on clay, but he is injured. We choose Rafael Nadal, winner of the Little Ace, then 14 years to replace. Pat Cash, then aged 36, agreed to play against the young Nadal and was beaten. After the match, Nadal decided to turn professional.
Rafael Nadal joined the ATP World Tour after, among others, reached a place of semi-finalist at junior Wimbledon in 2002 playing against players 2 years older than him. Once on the professional circuit, it eliminates two former winners of Roland Garros on their favorite surface, clay, Albert Costa at Monte Carlo Masters in 2003 and Carlos Moya at the Hamburg Masters, revealing its potential on this surface.
2003 - 2004: start
In 2003, Nadal takes part in his first two Grand Slam tournaments. He reached the third round of Wimbledon for his first. It is eliminated by Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan at this point. He then left the second round at the U.S. Open in 2003 by Morocco's Younes El Aynaoui.
In 2004, Nadal is selected for the first time and participated with the team of Spain in the Davis Cup where he won the first round against Radek Stepanek at Spain-Czech Republic (3-2), then the semi-finals against Arnaud Clement at the Spain-France (4-1). In the final against the United States, he won a match against Andy Roddick in the second game and Spain finally won 3-2. Rafael won his first major trophy.
It goes to the finals in Auckland, where he was defeated by the Slovak Dominik Hrbaty in straight sets. He also won his first Grand Slam singles title at Sopot, on clay, against Argentina's Jose Acasuso. It becomes, at 17, the second youngest player, after Michael Chang to enter the Top 100 players in the world. It is also the second youngest player to win a Masters Series tournament, according to Michael Chang.
Also in 2004, confronts and beats Nadal for the first time Roger Federer, the world's No. 1 in the third round of the Miami Masters. Rafael was then participate in International France but an injury prevented him from taking part. It is nevertheless the Australian Open and U.S. Open but was eliminated in the third round, respectively, then the second round by Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick.
He participated in the Athens Olympics in 2004 with Carlos Moyà double when he loses the first round.
2005 - 2006: first major victories
Like every year, the year 2005 begins with the Australian Open. Nadal was eliminated in the second round by Lleyton Hewitt, who was eliminated in the same tournament a year earlier. However, this is the first time in his career he reached the second week of a major tournament. At the Miami Masters, Rafael is beaten by Roger Federer in the final. Nadal won the first two sets and leads in the third before Federer turned the situation to finally win in five sets on the score of 2-6, 64-7, 7-65, 6-3, 6-1.
On April 17, the Spaniard prevailed over Guillermo Coria in Monte Carlo. He also won against the French Gael Monfils. In the semifinals, however, led by Richard Gasquet, he eventually needed. Moving forward, it prevails against his compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final tournament in Barcelona, and won the title in Rome on May 2 after a final victory against Argentina's Guillermo Coria in five sets 6-4 , 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-66, in game 5 h 14. Nadal said after the match he had won "the biggest victory of his career". He became the favorite of Internationaux de France. He qualified in the quarter-finals without much difficulty. In the quarterfinals, he eliminated his compatriot David Ferrer. In the semi-final, Nadal beat Roger Federer. In the final, the Spaniard beat Mariano Puerta (6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5), and won his first Grand Slam title at the end of a match. Indeed, Puerta has offered two balls of the fourth set, but does not enter and bows. Mariano Puerta tested positive will to etilefrine and suspended by the International Tennis Federation.
Nadal was eliminated in the second round of Wimbledon by Gilles Muller.
At Bastad, the Majorcan wins in the final against Berdych. He goes by the Stuttgart tournament, he won. He also won the Canada Masters, facing Andre Agassi. He was defeated in the third round of the U.S. Open by American James Blake. Rafael Nadal gets his last title of the season at the Madrid Masters, in the face Croatian Ivan Ljubicic.
He then begins the 2006 season that withdraws during the tournament in Sydney after a foot injury caused in October 2005 at the Madrid Masters. He also skipped the Shanghai Masters and the ATP tournament in Chennai, opening event of the new season. It does not take part in the Australian Open. He returned to competition at the tournament in Marseille, where he lost in the semi-final against Arnaud Clement. His next tournament will be in Dubai where he won the final against world number one Roger Federer. It goes to the semifinals of the Masters Series Indian Wells, where he was eliminated by James Blake.
Rafael Nadal won his second title of the year in the Masters Series Monte-Carlo against Roger Federer. He won April 29, 2006 his second consecutive Barcelona Open final, beating compatriot Tommy Robredo. Mid-May, when the Rome tournament, Rafael again faces Federer in the final. After five hours of game, the Spaniard prevailed in five sets: 60-7, 7-65, 6-4, 2-6, 7-65. The Mallorcan is led 1-4 in the fifth set and saved two match points at 5-6 (15-40), and even led 3-5 in the game désicif before finally prevail 7-5. Like his opponent, he forfeits later in Hamburg for the third consecutive year because of fatigue. Sometimes the Internationaux de France de Roland Garros 2006 as defending champion and favorite. In difficulty in the third round by the French Paul-Henri Mathieu, he finally passes in the second round in four sets. Rafael won his eighth-final against Lleyton Hewitt. In the quarterfinals, he won after his opponent's plan, Serbian Novak Djokovic. In the semifinals, he meets Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic, whom he defeated in three sets. On Sunday, June 11, 2006, he won against Roger Federer in four sets. Stefan Edberg, a former Swedish tennis player, winner of six Grand Slams, he was awarded the Musketeers' Cup.
He qualified for the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time after beating the Americans Robert Kendrick and Andre Agassi. He beat the Finn Jarkko Nieminen in the quarterfinals before reaching the final with a victory in the semifinals on Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. In the final, he was defeated in four sets by Roger Federer.
He played two Masters Series on North American soil (Toronto and Cincinnati) where he bows respectively in the third round and quarter-finals. At the U.S. Open, was defeated by Mikhail Youzhny in the quarter-finals. He withdraws to the China Open because of a sprained ankle. He returned to competition at the Madrid Masters but was defeated in the quarterfinals by Tomas Berdych. He ended the season by reaching the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters, where he was beaten again by Roger Federer.
2007: conquest of the world leader
Rafael Nadal started 2007 as the main rival to Roger Federer, mainly because he was unbeaten on clay in 2006. In his first tournament of the season, he reached the semifinals of the Chennai Open where he lost against Xavier Malisse. It also participates in the tournament in Sydney, where, because of groin pain, abandoned in the first round against Chris Guccione while leading, preferring to care for the Australian Open starting next week. He then took part in the Australian Open where he reached for the first time the quarterfinals after eliminating successively Robert Kendrick, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Wawrinka and Andy Murray. He bowed in the quarterfinals against Fernando Gonzalez. Injured Rafael Nadal withdraws the first round of the Davis Cup against Switzerland (Spain's victory 3-2) and then for the Open 13. He is back on the courts at the Dubai Open but lost for the second consecutive time against Mikhail Youzhny in the quarterfinals. He subsequently participated in the Indian Wells Masters he won without dropping a set, dominating the final Serb Novak Djokovic. He followed the next week with the Miami Masters where he was beaten in the quarter-finals by Novak Djokovic.
He won his first clay tournament of the season, the Masters Series Monte Carlo, beating Roger Federer without losing a single set during the tournament. It is thus the first to achieve the treble in Roquebrune Cap Martin since Ilie Nastase (1971-1973). He then won the Barcelona Open for the third consecutive year against Guillermo Canas in the final. This is the 20th title of his career. These results allow him to take the place of Roger Federer leads the ATP Race 2007 April 30. On May 2, 2007, he won the exhibition match held on a field covered half dirt and half grass called Battle of Surfaces against Roger Federer in Palma de Mallorca.
By beating Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals of the Rome Masters on May 12, Nadal beat the record held by John McEnroe winning streak on one surface (the American had remained unbeaten for 75 matches on hard courts indoors between 1983 and 1985). Nadal beat Fernando Gonzalez in the final and became the first player to win three consecutive times at the Foro Italico. The following week at the Hamburg Masters, Nadal is on course to become the first player to win the same year the three Masters Series events played on clay.
He reached the final where he was beaten by Roger Federer with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 0-6. After a laborious start of the match, Federer himself and eventually win. This is Nadal's first defeat after 81 consecutive wins on clay, however, remain atop the ATP Race 2007. At Roland Garros, it happens in the final after facing Juan Martin del Potro, Flavio Cipolla, Albert Montanes, Lleyton Hewitt, Carlos Moya and Novak Djokovic. He won for the third consecutive time.
He participated in the tournament next week's Queen's to prepare for Wimbledon. He was defeated in the quarterfinals by Nicolas Mahut. At Wimbledon, he reached the final after beating Mardy Fish, Werner Eschauer, Robin Söderling, Mikhail Youzhny, Tomas Berdych, and Novak Đjoković on abandonment. Note that the match against Robin Söderling lasted five days by the weather. Nadal gives the final in five sets (67-7, 6-4, 63-7, 6-2, 2-6) against Roger Federer, after one of the greatest games of all time, having spent yet very close to victory by getting the first break points at 1-1 and 2-2 in the fifth set. This second successive final against Federer lost in London is a confirmation of his good on grass since it happens to be in the final on grass too, and inherited a painting survey, compared with Table 2006. He also opposes greater resistance to Federer on grass. He took one week later he won the Stuttgart tournament against Stanislas Wawrinka after nearly quit in the 2nd round because of knee pain. This is his sixth title of the year and 23rd of his career. With 5445 points in the standings Technical ATP, Nadal reached his best result since his debut as a professional in 2001.
It connects with the American tour, which starts at Canada Masters where he bowed in the semifinals to eventual race winner, Novak Djokovic. The following week, he participated in the Cincinnati Masters but he left during his first match against Argentina's Juan Mónaco because of new knee pain. Despite the recurring injuries (tendonitis) and the risk of being seriously injured, he participated in the last Grand Slam of the year, the U.S. Open. He qualified easily for the eighth-finals after eliminating Alun Jones, Janko Tipsarevic on abandonment and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He bows at his compatriot David Ferrer in the eighth and final show poorer success at the U.S. Open. And with those defeats, Federer takes first place in the ATP Race, with more successful of the three U.S. tournaments. Thereafter, Nadal withdraws for the three tournaments following his injury to heal, or the China Open, Japan Open and the Open in Vienna. It aligns the Madrid Masters where, playing on his land, he hopes to end a losing streak that has lasted nearly three months. Insufficiently recovered from injury, he bows in the quarter-final against Argentina's David Nalbandian. In November, for his first appearance at Paris-Bercy Masters, Nadal lost in the final against David Nalbandian. At the Masters Cup, Nadal bows semi-final against Roger Federer.
Nadal is world number 2, but has not won any title after July 2007. However, with Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the final five other titles, the 2007 season has been very strong and it remains at the top. Nadal keeps 5735 Technical ATP ranking points.
2008: World number one
In early 2008, the Federer-Nadal duel remains at the center of attention. Rafael Nadal played his first tournament of the year in Chennai, where the semi-final he defeated Carlos Moya in 3 hrs 57 games, the longest match in three sets of tennis history. It tilts the next day in the final against Mikhail Youzhny.
At the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal has the opportunity to steal the world leader belonging to Roger Federer if he is eliminated before the semi-finals and Nadal wins the title. The Spanish arrived in the semifinals by eliminating Viktor Troicki, Florent Serra, Gilles Simon, Paul-Henri Mathieu (for quitting) and Jarkko Nieminen. The qualification for the semi-final allowed him to achieve his best performance at the Australian Open and reaching the threshold of 6000 points in the ATP rankings. But he was beaten in the semi-finals by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, feeling surprise of the tournament, which delivers an outstanding game. After the Australian Open, the point spread in the ATP rankings between Roger Federer and Nadal is reduced by 1 400 points to 650 points but in parallel with the point spread Novak Đoković, No. 3 worldwide, is also decreasing as the Spaniard has more than 815 points ahead of Djokovic and multiplies the good performance characteristics Serbian will even pass close to overtake. Having renounced the Davis Cup on the advice of his coach, the tournament in Rotterdam is the first tournament since Nadal Australian Open. The Spaniard bowed in eighth-final defeat to Andreas Seppi.
Rafael Nadal won for the fourth consecutive time the Monte Carlo Masters by beating Roger Federer in the final. This is the first time a player won four consecutive Masters Series. During the tournament, the Spaniard has not lost a set. He also won the doubles final with compatriot Tommy Robredo, becoming the second player in history to win the final of the singles and doubles during the same Masters, Nadal-Robredo beat Bhupathi-Knowles (IND / BAH). The following week, Rafael Nadal wins Barcelona Open for the fourth straight year against David Ferrer. This is the first time a player won this tournament four times. Following this victory, he became No. 1 in the ATP Race 2008 to Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. A week later, Rafael Nadal takes part in the Masters of Rome he tries to be the first man to win four consecutive times. Because of blisters, he was knocked out in the second round against Juan Carlos Ferrero. He then backward to the 2nd place in the ATP Race 2008. After a week of rest, Rafael Nadal enters Masters Hamburg he won for the first time face to No. 1 Roger Federer. He won well at least 22 years his 11th Masters Series trophy, and the third title of the season after Monte Carlo and Barcelona. He also became the third player to win on a career, the three Masters Series events played on clay (Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg) after Gustavo Kuerten and Marcelo Rios. At Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal rencontreThomaz Bellucci, Nicolas Devilder, Jarkko Nieminen, Fernando Verdasco, Nicolas Almagro and Novak Djokovic. The finish does not change the past, Nadal win even more easily (6-1, 6-3, 6-0) Federer inflicting the heaviest defeat in the final Grand Slam. He then won four consecutive Roland Garros, including three in a row against Federer, and equals the record for consecutive victories Björn Borg, present during the coronation. Not since 1977 (and winning 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 Guillermo Vilas against Brian Gottfried) a player had left so few games to his opponent in the final of Roland Garros. Rafael Nadal is also the fifth player in history to win a Grand Slam tournament without dropping a set to his opponents. After the tournament, he becomes the No. 1 ATP Race 2008. Total ruler on earth, he is now trying to win on grass.
The following week he won for the first time the Queen's considered the tournament preparation for Wimbledon. He beat in the semifinals and defending champion and four-time winner Andy Roddick in the final and Novak Djokovic. Nadal is the first man since 1973 to achieve the double Roland Garros - Queen's and the first Spaniard to win a tournament on grass since 1972. He also joined the players Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Richard Gasquet who have won at least one tournament each of the surfaces of courts: clay, hard, grass and synthetic. At Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal advances to final after eliminating successively Andreas Beck, Ernests Gulbis, Nicolas Kiefer, Mikhail Youzhny, Andy Murray and Rainer Schuettler. He succeeded in the final to defeat five-time defending champion Roger Federer at the end of one of the most spectacular matches in tennis history. It was the longest final in Wimbledon, she concludes after 4 pm 48, and is interrupted by two times due to weather, the score 6-4, 6-4, 65-7, 68-7, 9 - 7, just before nightfall. Nadal became the first player since Bjorn Borg to achieve the double Roland Garros - Wimbledon and the only player in history to achieve the treble Roland Garros - Queen's - Wimbledon. After the tournament, Nadal is still 545 points of Federer in the ATP rankings. Thus history repeats itself: Bjorn Borg had been denied a sixth consecutive Wimbledon coronation in 1981 by John McEnroe, a left-handed 22 years, ranked second. Nadal is also left-handed, 22, heir apparent to Federer ATP, and it prevents him from winning a sixth consecutive Wimbledon in 2008.
The following week, he forfeits the tournament in Stuttgart, where he is defending champion, in order to rest. He then won the Canada Masters for the second time in his career by defeating Nicolas Kiefer in the final. He won the Masters Series and the 12th of his career, becoming the third most successful player in history behind Andre Agassi Masters Series and Roger Federer but ahead of Pete Sampras. At the Cincinnati Masters, he beat Nicolas Lapentti 7-63, 6-1 quarter-final victory that allows him this time passerno a world after remaining for nearly 160 consecutive weeks dolphin Federer. He bowed in the semifinals to No. 3 in the world Novak Djokovic (6-1, 7-5), which concludes its series of 32 consecutive victories combined from all surfaces of the Hamburg Masters. Despite this defeat Rafael Nadal will replace the World No. 1 August 18, whatever the outcome of the Olympic Games). And Nadal won the Olympic final by defeating Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 7-62, 6-3. He won for the first time the Olympic Games and has a gold medal to his country, Spain. Nadal is the first player in history to achieve the treble Roland Garros - Wimbledon - Winter Olympics that year. Monday, August 18, 2008, Nadal officially became No. 1 in the world, dethroning Roger Federer. At the U.S. Open, he qualified for the first time in his career in the semifinals after eliminating Bjorn Phau, Ryler De Heart, Viktor Troicki, Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish. He then lost against Andy Murray. On September 3, Rafael Nadal wins Prince of Asturias. By reaching the semifinals at the U.S. Open, Rafael Nadal became the first player in history to have played on a career, the semi-finals of all major tournaments (Grand Slams, Masters Series, Masters, Olympics , Davis Cup). 19 and September 21, Rafael Nadal makes the semi-final Davis Cup first and third points to Spain dominating the Americans Sam Querrey and Andy Roddick. Spain beats and the United States and qualifies for the final against Argentina. At the Madrid Masters, he bows in the semi-final match against Gilles Simon in three sets and 3 hours of play 22 The French qualify this meeting as the finest game of his career. Thanks to its performance, Rafael Nadal widened the gap in the ATP rankings, and ensures consistently to finish the year No. 1 in the world no matter what happens.
At the Paris Masters Bercy, he gave against Nikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinals because of tendinitis. The knee injury will also force to forfeit the Masters Cup (replaced by Gilles Simon) and the Davis Cup final (replaced by Marcel Granollers).
Rafael Nadal closes in 22 years, an almost perfect season saw eight titles including two Grand Slams (Roland Garros and Wimbledon), three Masters Series events (Monte Carlo, Hamburg and Canada), the gold medal in singles at the Olympics Beijing, and won two other tournaments (Barcelona and Queen's). He finished the year No. 1 in the world with 1370 points ahead of No. 2 Roger Federer, who is ahead of No. 3 Novak Đoković 10 points.
See also Victoria Azarenka
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