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| {{spanish name 2|Nadal|Parera}} | |||
| {{Infobox Tennis player | |||
| |playername = Rafael Nadal | |||
| |fullname = Rafael Nadal Parera | |||
| |image = ] | |||
| |country = ] | |||
| |nickname = ''Rafa''<br />''The King of Clay''<br />''The Man from Majorca''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/tennis/australian-open/the-man-from-majorca-breathes-the-sweet-scent-of-victory/2009/02/02/1233423135781.html |title=The man from Majorca breathes scent of victory |last=Niall|first=Jake|work=The Age|publisher=theage.com.au|date=3 February 2009| dateformat=mdy |accessdate=30 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/2304002/Wimbledon-Rafael-Nadal-happy-with-his-game---and-his-shorts---as-he-moves-through-gears.html |title=Wimbledon: Rafael Nadal happy with his game - and his shorts - as he moves through gears |last=Scott|first=Brough|work=The Daily Telegraph|publisher=telegraph.co.uk|date=24 June 2008| dateformat=mdy |accessdate=30 October 2009}}</ref> | |||
| |residence = ], ], ] | |||
| |datebirth = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|6|3}} | |||
| |placebirth = ], ] | |||
| |height = {{height|m= 1.85}} | |||
| |weight = {{convert|85|kg|lb st|abbr=on}} | |||
| |turnedpro = 2001 | |||
| |plays = Left-handed; two-handed backhand | |||
| |careerprizemoney = ] 27,224,163 | |||
| * ] | |||
| |singlesrecord = 401-91 (81.50%) | |||
| |singlestitles = 36 | |||
| |currentsinglesranking = No. 2 (4 January 2010) | |||
| |highestsinglesranking = No. '''1''' (18 August 2008) | |||
| |AustralianOpenresult = '''W''' (]) | |||
| |FrenchOpenresult = '''W''' (], ], ], ]) | |||
| |Wimbledonresult = '''W''' (]) | |||
| |USOpenresult = SF (], ]) | |||
| |Othertournaments = No | |||
| |MastersCupresult = SF (], ]) | |||
| |Olympicsresult = ] '''Gold medal''' (]) | |||
| |IndianWellsMastersresult = '''W''' (], ]) | |||
| |MiamiMastersResults = F (], ]) | |||
| MonteCarloMastersResults = '''W''' (], ], ], ], ]) | |||
| |RomeMastersResults = '''W''' (], ], ], ]) | |||
| |MadridMastersresults = '''W''' (]) | |||
| |HamburgMastersResults = '''W''' (]) | |||
| |CanadaMastersResults = '''W''' (], ]) | |||
| |CincinnatiMastersResults = SF (], ]) | |||
| |ParisMastersResults = F (]) | |||
| |doublesrecord = 76–49 | |||
| |doublestitles = 5 | |||
| |highestdoublesranking = No. 26 (8 August 2005) | |||
| |grandslamsdoublesresults = yes | |||
| |AustralianOpenDoublesresult = 3R (2004, ]) | |||
| |WimbledonDoublesresult = 2R (]) | |||
| |USOpenDoublesresult = SF (]) | |||
| |updated = October 19, 2009}} | |||
| '''Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera''' ({{IPA-es|rafaˈel naˈðal}}) (born 3 June 1986) is a former ] Spanish professional ] player currently ranked No. 2 in the world. Nadal has won six ] singles titles, the ], 15 ] tournaments and also was part of the ] that won the finals in ] and ]. | |||
| Nadal was ranked World No. 1 from 18 August 2008 to 5 July 2009. Nadal was ranked World No. 2, behind ] for a record 160 weeks before earning the top spot.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25978842/ |title= It's official: Nadal will pass Federer for No. 1| date=1 August 2008|author=Associated Press|publisher= NBC Sports |accessdate=6 .atptennis.com/3/en/players/headtohead/?player1=Nadal%2C+Rafael&player2=federer |title=Players — Head-to-head| publisher=ATPtennis.com|dateformat=mdy |accessdate=6 November 2008}}</ref> In 2009, he became the first player to simultaneously hold Grand Slam titles on clay, grass and hardcourt. His success on clay has earned him the nickname ''"The King of Clay",'' with many tennis experts and anaylsts believing that Nadal is the great clay court player of all time. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/french08/columns/story?columnist=harwitt_sandra&id=3432383 |title=Is Rafael Nadal one of the best clay-court players ever?|last=Harwitt|first=Sandra|work=ESPN 2008 French Open|publisher=ESPN.com|date=8 June 2008| dateformat=mdy |accessdate=6 November 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tennisworld.typepad.com/tennisworld/2008/06/so.html|first= Peter|last=Bodo|title=Endgame on Clay|date=8 June 2008|work=Peter Bodo's tennisworld|publisher=Tennis.com| dateformat=mdy |accessdate=6 November 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nysun.com/sports/nadal-appearing-unbeatable-on-clay/75421/|title=Nadal Appearing Unbeatable on Clay |last= Perrotta|first=Tom|date=28 April 2008|work=The Sun|publisher=The New York Sun|dateformat=mdy |accessdate=6 November 2008}}</ref> | |||
| In 2008, Nadal was given the ] for Sports, in recognition of his achievements in tennis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/ing/04/premios/premios6_2008.html|title=Sports 2008|publisher=Fundación Principe de Asturias|date=3 September 2008|dateformat=mdy |accessdate=6 November 2008}}</ref> | |||
| ==Family and early life== | |||
| Rafael Nadal was born in ], ] to Sebastián Nadal and Ana María Parera (now divorced). He has a younger sister named María Isabel. His uncle, ], is a retired professional football (soccer) player, having played for ], ], and the ].<ref name="times">{{cite web | first=Christopher | last=Clarey | title=Rafael Nadal, Barely 19, He's Got Game, Looks and Remarkably Good Manners | date=6 June 2005 | work=]| publisher=NYTimes.com| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/06/sports/tennis/06nadal.html| dateformat=mdy |accessdate=6 November 2008}}</ref> Nadal supports football clubs ] and RCD Mallorca.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6130000/newsid_6135900/6135996.stm |title=Sportsround meets Rafael Nadal|date=11 November 2006|work= CBBC Newsround |publisher= BBC| dateformat=mdy |accessdate=7 November 2008}}</ref> Recognizing that Rafael had a natural talent for tennis, his other uncle, ], a former professional tennis player, introduced him to tennis when he was three years old. Toni Nadal has been coaching him ever since.<ref name="Rajaraman">{{cite web|url=http://www.insidetennis.com/0608_french_open_nadal.html|first=Aarthi|last= Rajaraman|title=At Home with Humble yet Ambitious Nadal|date=June 2008|work=Inside Tennis|publisher=InsideTennis.com |dateformat=mdy |accessdate=7 November 2008}}</ref> | |||
| At age eight, Nadal won an under-12 year regional tennis championship at a time where he was also a promising football player.<ref name="timesonline">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article708386.ece|title= The Big Interview: Rafael Nadal|work=The Sunday Times|publisher=TIMESONLINE|date=23 April 2006|first=Alison|last= Kervin |dateformat=mdy |accessdate=7 November 2008}}</ref> This made Toni Nadal intensify training, and at that time he encouraged Nadal to play left-handed—for a natural advantage on the tennis court, as he noticed Nadal played ] shots with two hands.<ref name="timesonline"/> When Nadal was 12, he won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group and was playing tennis and football all the time.<ref name="timesonline"/> Nadal's father made him choose between football and tennis so that his school work would not deteriorate entirely. Nadal said: "I chose tennis. Football had to stop straight away."<ref name="timesonline"/> | |||
| When he was 14, the Spanish tennis federation requested that he leave Mallorca and move to ] to continue his tennis progression and training. Nadal's family turned down this request, partly because they feared it would hurt his education,<ref name="timesonline"/> but also because Toni Nadal said that "I don't want to believe that you have to go to America, or other places to be a good athlete. You can do it from your home."<ref name="Rajaraman"/> The decision to stay home meant that Nadal received less financial support from the federation; instead Nadal's father covered the costs. In May 2001, he defeated former Grand Slam champion ] in a clay-court exhibition match.<ref name="times"/> | |||
| Nadal participated in two events on the ] junior circuit. In 2002, at the age of 16, Nadal reached the semifinals of the Boy's Singles tournament at ], in his first ITF junior event <ref name="ITFTennis">{{cite web|url=http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/players/activity.asp?player=100007935 | title=ITF Tennis - Juniors - Player Activity}}</ref>. Later that year, Nadal won all of his matches en-route to a winning campaign with Spain, over the ], in the junior ] in his second, and final, appearance on the ITF junior circuit. | |||
| By the age of 17, Nadal was ranked in the world's top 50 players.<ref name="timesonline"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20208243,00.html |title=Tennis Hotshot Rafael Nadal Has a Secret Girlfriend |first=Caris |last=Davis|date=23 June 2008 |work=People|publisher=People.com| dateformat=mdy |accessdate=7 November 2008}}</ref>. In 2003, Rafael had won the ATP ] Award. | |||
| ==Career== | |||
| {{Main|Rafael Nadal career biography}} | |||
| Rafael Nadal is an accomplished and renowned world class clay court tennis player, which he has won four consecutive ]'s from 2005–2008, and won two other slams off of the red clay on grass at the ] and on hard at the ]. He has a storied rivalry with one of the greatest tennis players of all-time Roger Federer, which Nadal leads in the overall record. | |||
| ===Rivalry with Roger Federer=== | |||
| {{Main|Federer–Nadal rivalry}} | |||
| Nadal and Federer have been playing against each other since 2004, and this rivalry is a significant part of both men's careers: | |||
| * They are the only men in the ] who have played each other in 7 Grand Slam finals, with Nadal winning 5 of the 7 finals. Three of these 5 wins were on Nadal's best surface (clay), and he has beaten Federer twice in non-clay major finals: Wimbledon 2008 and the Australian Open 2009.<ref></ref> | |||
| * Their ] has been lauded as the greatest match of all time by many long-time tennis critics.<ref name="McEnroe">{{cite news | first = Richard|last= Alleyne | title = Wimbledon 2008: John McEnroe hails Rafael Nadal victory as greatest final ever | url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/2305019/Wimbledon-2008-John-McEnroe-hails-Rafael-Nadal-victory-as-greatest-final-ever.html | dateformat=mdy|date = 7 July 2008 | accessdate = 7 August 2008}}</ref><ref name="grPress">{{Cite web |title=Federer-Nadal rivalry as good as it gets |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/07/sports/TEN-On-Tennis-Rafa---Roger.php |date=2008-07-07 |accessdate=2008-08-07}}</ref> | |||
| * Many critics consider their rivalry to be the greatest in tennis history.<ref name="asgoodasitgets">{{cite news | publisher = ''International Herald Tribune'' (]) | title=Federer-Nadal rivalry as good as it gets | url= http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/07/sports/TEN-On-Tennis-Rafa---Roger.php | date = 7 July 2008| accessdate = 2009-02-14}}</ref><ref name="moveoverborgmac">{{cite news | first=Paul | last=Weaver | title = Move over McEnroe and Borg, this one will run and run in the memory | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/07/wimbledon.tennis4 | publisher= ''The Guardian'' | date = 7 July 2008 | accessdate = 2009-02-14}}</ref><ref name="asgoodassportgets">{{cite news | first = Martin | last = Flanagan | title = Federer v Nadal as good as sport gets | publisher=''The Age'' | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/tennis/federer-v-nadal-as-good-as-sport-gets/2008/07/11/1215658132528.html | date = 12 July 2008 | accessdate = 2009-02-14 | language =}}</ref><ref name="bodo-rivalry!">{{cite web|url=http://tennisworld.typepad.com/tennisworld/2009/01/tj.html|title=Rivalry!|last=Bodo|first=Peter|date=30 January 2009|work=Peter Bodo's Tennisworld|publisher=Tennis.com |accessdate=2009-02-14}}</ref> | |||
| * Nine of Nadal's 13 wins over Federer have come on clay courts, Nadal's best surface. Nadal leads their overall head-to-head series 13-7 (Nadal leads 9-2 on clay, Federer leads 2-1 on grass, they are tied (3-3) on hard courts). | |||
| ===Playing style=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Nadal generally plays an aggressive behind-the-] game founded on heavy ] groundstrokes, consistency, speedy footwork, and tenacious court coverage.<ref name="ESPN">{{citeweb|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/wimbledon08/columns/story?columnist=garber_greg&id=3472238|title=Nadal Has Improved Virtually Every Aspect of His Game|publisher=]|date=2008-07-03|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> Known for his athleticism and speed around the court, Nadal is a capable defender<ref name="about bio">{{cite news | first=Jeff | last=Cooper | coauthors= | title=Rafael Nadal - Game Profile | date= | publisher= | url =http://tennis.about.com/od/playersmale/a/nadalgp.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-07-30 | language = }}</ref> who hits well on the run, constructing winning plays from seemingly defensive positions. He also plays very fine dropshots, which work especially well because his heavy topspin often forces opponents to the back of the court. <ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/instructionarticles/netgame/netgame.aspx?id=123244|title=Rafael Nadal's Drop Volley|publisher=]|date=2008-03-27|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb3smnR6NSc|title=Nadal's Forehand in Slow Motion|publisher=]|date=2008-08-07|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/25/news/rwtechnic.php?page=2|title=Coming to Grips with Today's Forehand|publisher=]|date=2006-06-25|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> Nadal's forehand groundstroke form allows him to hit shots with heavy topspin—more so than many of his contemporaries.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/27/sports/tennis/27tennis.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/M/McEnroe,%20Patrick|title=More and More Players Deliver Slap to Classic Forehand|publisher=]|date=2006-06-27|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> 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." <ref>{{citeweb |title=Ripped. (Or Torn Up?) |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/magazine/21nadal-t.html?pagewanted=5&_r=1}}</ref> 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. <ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/instructionarticles/forehand/forehand.aspx?id=56544|title=The Forehand of Rafael Nadal|publisher=]|date=2006-12-15|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> 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.<ref name="ESPN"/> Nadal is able to deliver a high percentage of first serves, struck with moderate pace and placed strategically.<ref name="ESPN"/> 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 ].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/2304937/Rafael-Nadal-determined-to-keep-one-step-ahead-of-Roger-Federer.html|title=Rafael Nadal Determined to Keep One Step Ahead of Roger Federer|publisher=]|date=2008-07-06|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> | |||
| 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.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/instructionarticles/strategy/strategy.aspx?id=49566|title=Learning from Rafael Nadal|publisher=]|date=2006-10-13|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> | |||
| While Nadal's game is best-suited to ]s, Nadal is no longer considered a "clay court specialist" due to continued success at tournaments played on other surfaces, including holding Grand Slams simultaneously on grass, hard courts and clay.<ref name="ESPN"/><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/5/en/deuce/november2008/nadal.asp|title=Making History In a Hurry|publisher=Deuce Magazine|date=2008-11-01|accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/aus09/columns/story?columnist=harwitt_sandra&id=3876694|title=No limit to what Nadal can accomplish|publisher=]|date=2009-02-01|accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/usopen07/news/story?id=2996956|title=Style of play catching up with Rafa?|publisher=]|date=2007-08-30|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> Nadal himself has admitted to the physical toll hard courts place on ] players, calling for a reevaluated tour schedule featuring fewer hard court tournaments.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://tennis.com/tournaments/2009/australianopen/australianopen.aspx?id=163626|title=Oz Champ Nadal Wants Changes in Tennis Schedule|publisher=]|date=2009-02-02|accessdate=2009-02-02}}</ref> | |||
| ==Grand Slam performance timeline== | |||
| ''To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the ]. | |||
| <!--Regarding the italicized note, it just means wait until he loses in the tournament, or until he wins it before updating numbers, so an editor can do it in just one go. and in updating numbers, include the update of tournaments played, finals reached and won, surface win–loss, overall win–loss, and these numbers in the career column, as well as the win–loss in the footnote. --> | |||
| {| class="wikitable" border="1" | |||
| |- style="background:#efefef;" | |||
| ! Tournament !! ] !! ] !! ] !! ] !! ] !! ] !! ] !! ] !! ] !! width="65"|Career SR !! width="69"|Career W-L !! width="69"|Career Win % | |||
| |- | |||
| | colspan="11" | '''Grand Slam Tournaments''' | |||
| |- | |||
| |style="background:#efefef;" | ] | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center" |A | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:yellow;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:lime;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |1/5 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |21-4 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |84 | |||
| |- | |||
| |style="background:#efefef;" | ] | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center" style="background:lime;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:lime;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:lime;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:lime;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" | 4/5 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" | 31-1 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" | 96.87 | |||
| |- | |||
| |style="background:#efefef;" | ] | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:thistle;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:thistle;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:lime;"|] | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |1/5 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |22-4 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |84.6 | |||
| |- | |||
| |style="background:#efefef;" | ] | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center"|A | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:yellow"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:yellow"|] | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |0/7 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |16-7 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |69.56 | |||
| |- | |||
| |style="background:#efefef;" | Win–Loss | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |N/A | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |N/A | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |3-2 | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |3-2 | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |13-3 | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |17-2 | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |20-3 | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |24-2 | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |15-2 | |||
| |align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |N/A | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |90-16 | |||
| | align="center" style="background:#efefef;" |84.90 | |||
| |} | |||
| ===Wins (6)=== | |||
| {| class="sortable wikitable" | |||
| |width="60"|'''Year | |||
| |width="200"|'''Championship | |||
| |width="80"|'''Surface | |||
| |width="200"|'''Opponent in Final | |||
| |width="200"|'''Score in Final | |||
| |-bgcolor="#EBC2AF" | |||
| | ] || ] || Clay||{{flagicon|ARG}} ] || 6–7(6) 6–3 6–1 7–5 | |||
| |-bgcolor="#EBC2AF" | |||
| | ] || French Open <small>(2) || Clay||{{flagicon|SUI}} ] || 1–6 6–1 6–4 7–6(4) | |||
| |-bgcolor="#EBC2AF" | |||
| | ] || French Open <small>(3) || Clay||{{flagicon|SUI}} Roger Federer || 6–3 4–6 6–3 6–4 | |||
| |-bgcolor="#EBC2AF" | |||
| | ] || French Open <small>(4) || Clay|| {{flagicon|SUI}} Roger Federer || 6–1 6–3 6–0 | |||
| |-bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | |||
| | ] || ] || Grass ||{{flagicon|SUI}} Roger Federer || 6–4 6–4 6–7(5) 6–7(8) 9–7 | |||
| |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" | |||
| | ] || ] || Hard ||{{flagicon|SUI}} Roger Federer || 7–5 3–6 7–6(3) 3–6 6–2 | |||
| |} | |||
| ===Runner-ups (2)=== | |||
| {| class="sortable wikitable" | |||
| |width="60"|'''Year | |||
| |width="200"|'''Championship | |||
| |width="80"|'''Surface | |||
| |width="200"|'''Opponent in Final | |||
| |width="200"|'''Score in Final | |||
| |-bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | |||
| | ] || Wimbledon <small> || Grass ||{{flagicon|SUI}} Roger Federer || 6–0 7–6(5) 6–7(2) 6–3 | |||
| |-bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | |||
| | ] || Wimbledon <small>(2)|| Grass ||{{flagicon|SUI}} Roger Federer || 7–6(7) 4–6 7–6(3) 2–6 6–2 | |||
| |} | |||
| ==Equipment and endorsements== | |||
| Nadal uses an AeroPro Drive racquet with a 4 1/4" L2 grip. As of 2010 season, Nadal's racquets are painted to resemble the new Babolat AeroPro Drive with Cortex GT racquet in order to market a current model which Babolat sells.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=154451|title=Nadal Doesn't Use an APDC|publisher=Talk Tennis|date=2007-09-01|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/usopen04/news/story?id=1872892|title=The Tennis Racket|publisher=]|date=2004-09-02|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> Nadal uses no replacement grip, and instead wraps 2 overgrips around the handle. Nadal uses Duralast 15L strings—strung between 55 and 66 pounds<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.rafaelnadal.com/nadal/en/news/article/rafa-i-am-very-happy-to-share-one-hour-with-all-of-you-my-best-fans|title=Chat with Rafa Nadal|publisher=RafaNadal.com|date=2009-02-04|accessdate=2009-02-04}}</ref>—while promoting Babolat's Pro Hurricane Tour strings for marketing purposes. | |||
| ] serves as Nadal's clothing and shoe sponsor. Nadal's signature on-court attire entailed a variety of sleeveless shirts paired with 3/4 length ].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://nymag.com/fashion/08/fall/49256|title=The Beefcake in the Backcourt|publisher=]|date=2008-08-17|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> For the 2009 season, Nadal has adopted more traditional on-court apparel. Nike encouraged Nadal to update his look in order to reflect his new status as the sport's top player at that time<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/aus09/columns/story?columnist=tandon_kamakshi&id=3837536&campaign=rss&source=TENNISHeadlines|title=Rafa Needs More Than a New Look|publisher=]|date=2009-01-17|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> and associate Nadal with a style that—while less distinctive than his "pirate" look—would be more widely emulated by consumers.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/123520|title=Rafael Nadal to Launch New, More Traditional Image at US Open|publisher=Sports Business Daily|date=2008-08-01|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.cnbc.com/id/28854928|title=Nadal's Wardrobe Malfunction|publisher=]|date=2009-01-26|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> | |||
| At warmup tournaments in ] and ], Nadal played matches in a ] specifically designed for him by Nike,<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://cornedbeefhash.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/fashion-focus-rafa-after-a-hiccup-finally-grows-up/|title=Fashion Focus: Rafael Nadal|publisher=Tennis Served Fresh|date=2009-01-20|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> paired with shorts cut above the knee. Nadal's new, more conventional style carried over to the ], where Nadal was outfitted with Nike's Bold Crew Men's Tee<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://store.nike.com/index.jsp?sitesrc=USLP&country=US&lang_locale=en_US#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-204467/pgid-204469|title=Nike Bold New Tennis Crew|publisher=Nike Store|date=2009-01-30|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> and Nadal Long Check Shorts.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://store.nike.com/index.jsp?sitesrc=USLP&country=US&lang_locale=en_US#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-204474/pgid-204476|title=Nadal Long Check Shorts|publisher=Nike Store|date=2009-01-30|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://cornedbeefhash.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/rafas-costume-change-part-deux/|title=Rafa's Costume Change|publisher=Tennis Served Fresh|date=2009-01-24|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.tennis.com/uploadedImages/Features/Photo_Galleries/TENNIS_Gallery/2009_01_22_pg22.jpg|title=Emperor's New Clothes|publisher=]|date=2009-01-24|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref> | |||
| Nadal wears Nike's Air CourtBallistec 1.3 tennis shoes,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tenniswarehouse-europe.com/descpageMSNIKEH-NMACBT.html |title=Nike Air CourtBallistec 1.3 |accessdate=2007-09-05 }}</ref> bearing various customizations throughout the season, including his nickname—"Rafa"—on the right shoe and a stylized bull logo on the left.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/File:090209.RafaShoes.jpg|title=Rafael Nadal's Custom Shoes at the 2009 Australian Open}}</ref> | |||
| Nadal has appeared in advertising campaigns for ] as a global ambassador for the company. In May 2008, Kia released a ] viral ad featuring Nadal in a tennis match with an alien. Nadal also has an endorsement agreement with Universal DVDs.<ref>.</ref> | |||
| ==Career Statistics== | |||
| {{main|Rafael Nadal career statistics}} | |||
| ===Records=== | |||
| * These records were attained in the ] of tennis. | |||
| {| class="wikitable" | |||
| |-bgcolor="#efefef" | |||
| | width=200|Grand Slam || width=50|Years || width=200|Record accomplished || width=200|Player tied | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 2005 — 09 || 31 consecutive match wins || ''Stands alone'' | |||
| |- | |||
| | French Open — ] || 2008 — 09 || Simultaneous holder of Grand Slams on clay, grass and hardcourt || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| | French Open — Australian Open || 2008 — 09 || Simultaneous holder of Olympic singles gold medal and Grand Slams on clay, grass and hardcourt || ''Stands alone'' | |||
| |- | |||
| | French Open || 2005 — 08 || 4 consecutive wins || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| | French Open || 2005 — 08 || 4 consecutive finals || ] <br />] <br /> ] | |||
| |} | |||
| Rafael Nadal has either equaled or set various records in tennis history. | |||
| # Longest single-surface winning streak (clay): 81 matches (2005- 21 May 2007) | |||
| # Winning the French Open at the first attempt. Tied with Mats Wilander (1982) | |||
| # Only the third teenager in history (since 1973) to reach world no. 2 | |||
| # Most consecutive clay court winning streak: 81 | |||
| # Most consecutive French Open titles: 4 tied with Björn Borg | |||
| # Winning French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Tied-three others in Open Era history. | |||
| # Only male player to have won French Open, Wimbledon, and Olympic gold medal in the same year (2008) | |||
| # Won most titles as a teenager: 16 tied with Björn Borg | |||
| # Won 24 consecutive matches, the longest winning streak of any teenager in the open era, in 2005 | |||
| # Most consecutive French Open finals in the Open Era: 4 (tied with Borg, Lendl and Federer) | |||
| # Most consecutive Masters Quartefinals (Hamburg 2008- Paris 2009) | |||
| # The first player to win 400 singles matches in fewer than 500 matches played (401-91). | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] (asteroid) | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Reflist|2}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{commonscat|Rafael Nadal}} | |||
| * | |||
| * {{ATP|id=N409}} | |||
| * {{ITF male profile|number=100007935}} | |||
| * {{DavisCupplayerlink|id=100007935}} | |||
| * | |||
| {{Rafael Nadal start boxes}} | |||
| {{navboxes|title=Rafael Nadal in the ] | |||
| |list1= | |||
| {{Australian Open men's singles champions}} | |||
| {{French Open men's singles champions}} | |||
| {{Wimbledon men's singles champions}} | |||
| }} | |||
| {{navboxes|title=Rafael Nadal ] | |||
| |list1= | |||
| {{Tennis World Number Ones (men)}} | |||
| {{ATP Masters Series tournament winners}} | |||
| {{ATP Masters Series tournament doubles winners}} | |||
| {{Footer Olympic Champions Tennis Men}} | |||
| {{Top ten tennis players|atpsingles=y}} | |||
| {{Top Spanish Male Tennis Players}} | |||
| }} | |||
| <!-- Metadata: see ] --> | |||
| {{Persondata | |||
| |NAME=Nadal, Rafael | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Spanish tennis player | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH=June 3, 1986 | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH=], ], Spain | |||
| |DATE OF DEATH= | |||
| |PLACE OF DEATH= | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Nadal, Rafael}} | |||
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