Thursday, June 10, 2010

Factbox on Rafael Nadal

Factbox on Rafael Nadal, who won his fifth French Open title on Sunday.
Making his name * Born in Manacor, Majorca, June 3, 1986. * His uncle Miguel Angel Nadal enjoyed a long and successful career as a professional footballer, notably for Barcelona and Spain. * The naturally right-handed Nadal switched to being a left-handed player after his coach and mentor Toni Nadal noted it would give him a huge advantage on court. * Turned professional in 2001. Seven Grand Slam titles * French Open 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010; Wimbledon 2008; Australian Open 2009. * Became first man since Swede Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the French Open title on debut with a four-set victory over Argentine Mariano Puerta in June 2005. * A year later won his second successive French Open title with victory over Roger Federer in the final. * In 2007, became first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win hat-trick of French Open titles. * The following year matched Borg record of four successive French Open titles (1978 to 1981) to make it 28 wins from 28 at Roland Garros. * Later in 2008 beat then world number one and defending champion Federer to win his first Wimbledon title. The final is widely considered by pundits as the greatest tennis match of all time. Nadal became the first Spanish man to triumph at the grasscourt major since Manuel Santana in 1966. * In 2009 beat Federer in the final in Melbourne to become the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open in another classic five-set showdown. * Was beaten in the French Open for the first time when he lost to Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009. It was his first defeat after winning 31 successive matches at Roland Garros. * Became only the second man after Bjorn Borg to win five French Open titles when he regained his Roland Garros crown in 2010 by beating Soderling in the final. * His fifth French Open title came without the loss of a set and saw him become the first man to complete the "clay slam", winning the big four clay tournaments in the same season. Other milestones * Won his first ATP title in Sopot, Poland in August 2004. Later that year beat Andy Roddick to help Spain overcome the United States in Davis Cup final. * Lost to Russian Igor Andreev in the quarter-finals of the Valencia Open in April 2005 but from then on won a record 81 consecutive matches on clay before the streak came to an end in Hamburg in May 2007 at the hands of Federer. * Ended Federer's 4-12 year reign as world number one in August 2008. * Won gold medal in men's singles at the 2008 Olympic Games. Injury woes * Has troubles with his knees, suffering from tendinitis. Was forced to pull out of the Queen's Club grasscourt tournament in London in 2009 and was the first man not to defend his Wimbledon title since Croatia's Goran Ivanisevic skipped the grasscourt grand slam in 2002. * The same knee injury forced him to withdraw from the 2010 Australian Open during his quarter-final match with Britain's Andy Murray.
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