Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is one of the most exciting tennis players of his generation. An agile and powerful young opponent, with five grand-slam singles titles under his belt by the age of 22, he is undoubtedly the hottest tennis star in the world right now.

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Born and brought up in the Mallorcan town of Manacor, amongst a family of successful sportsmen, Rafael has been playing tennis from the age of three. By five he was going to tennis club twice a week. At 12 he had won Spanish and European titles for his age group. And by the time he reached 16 years of age he was ranked in the world's top 50 players. An extremely athletic and determined player, Nadal has taken the tennis world by storm. Originally considered a clay-court specialist - he has racked up four consecutive wins at the French Open - over the past few years he has proven his incredible ability on many different surfaces. Most memorably in his epic win in 2008's Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. He is one of only three players to have won both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Hailed in many quarters as having the potential to be one of the greatest champions of all time, Nadal seems destined to set the record books alight. This is the ultimate portrait of one of the world's most fascinating players. A must-read for any sports fans.