How well do you know Rafael Nadal?
Rafael Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles and ruled clay courts like no one before him. These six questions look at the family, habits and records behind his career.
Did you know?
- Nadal and Roger Federer played 40 matches against each other, with Nadal winning 24. Their 2008 Wimbledon final, which Nadal won in near-darkness after almost five hours, is often described as one of the greatest tennis matches ever played.
- Nadal played much of his career with a painful foot condition affecting a small bone in his left foot. He sometimes used injections and special insoles to keep competing, and his determination to play through pain became part of his reputation among fans and fellow players.
- When Nadal won his first French Open in 2005, he wore a sleeveless shirt and long, pirate-style shorts that became a trademark of his early career. Sportswear companies sold replicas worldwide, and the look became as recognisable as his headband and left-handed forehand.
The making of the King of Clay
Rafael Nadal Parera was born in 1986 in Manacor, a town on the Spanish island of Mallorca, and still lives there. He turned professional as a teenager and won the French Open at his first attempt in 2005, aged 19. Over the next two decades he won 22 Grand Slam singles titles and formed one of sport's great rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He played his last professional match at the Davis Cup finals in Málaga in November 2024.
Master of clay
Clay courts are slow, and the ball bounces high, which rewards patience, movement and heavy topspin. Nadal's forehand spun so fast that it kicked up above opponents' shoulders, making it hard to attack. On clay he once won 81 matches in a row, a record for any single surface in the Open Era. His dominance at Roland Garros was so complete that the tournament became almost synonymous with his name for more than 15 years.
Rituals and routines
Nadal's rituals became famous. Before serving he adjusted his shirt, shorts and hair in a fixed order, and between points he lined up his water bottles precisely, labels facing the court. He never stepped on the lines when walking between points. He has said the routines helped him concentrate and control his nerves. Despite his fierce intensity on court, he was known for humility, rarely smashing rackets and always thanking ball kids and officials.
Beyond the court
In 2016 Nadal opened the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, combining high-level tennis training with schooling for young players from around the world. His foundation supports education and sport for children in Spain and India. In 2018, when flash floods hit the nearby town of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, he joined volunteers with a broom and boots to help clear mud, and he opened his academy's facilities to people who had lost their homes.