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3. + Biography Raf ael Nadal Parera was born on June 3, 1986 in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain. Rafa began tennis training at the age of three, his Uncle Toni being his coach. At the same time, Rafael was playing football from the influence of his Uncle Rafael and Uncle Miguel Angel Nadal, both professional football players. Although extremely talented at both sports, Nadal decided to drop football and focus on his career in tennis. At the age of 12, Nadal won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group. A la edad de 15 años, Nadal fue pro. In 2005, Nadal ranked number 3 after winning the French Open the first time he competed in the tournament. En el agosto de 2008, Nadal alcanzar la clasificación número uno. Rafael and Uncle Toni

4. + Accomplishments A lo largo de la carerrera de Nadal, que rara vez ha perdido un partido cuando se juego sobre polvo de ladrillo. He has even been nicknamed “The King of Clay.” In June of 2012, Nadal lived up to this title and won the French Open, of which the courts are made of clay. Nadal had set a new record, as this was his seventh time winning the French Open. En 2008, Nadal compitieron por España en las Olimpiadas de Pekín. Playing against Fernando Gonzalez in the final match, Nadal defeated him, earning Spain their first ever gold medal in the Olympics. After being ranked second for the previous three years, this win brought him to be ranked number one in the world.

5. + His Legacy Rafael Nadal es pensado por muchos ser uno de los mayores jugadores de tenis en la historia. Many think that if it were not for his frequent knee injuries, he could even have been the greatest. In 2011, Nadal won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarianism Award for his charity work with children. He had founded the Rafael Nadal Charity Foundation to use sport as a way to help socially disadvantaged children in Barcelona. Nadal ha tenido un impacto principal en el mundo de tenis. His dedication to the sport and the way he shows the world that tennis is exciting and fun has encouraged many people to take up the sport. He shows everyone that considers the sport that with hard work, you too can play tennis.