Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is a professional tennis player from Spain. He is currently ranked number two in the world, and is the reigning Australian Open champion, as well as being a former Wimbledon and French Open champion.http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/Singles.aspx

After missing the 2009 Wimbledon tournament, citing tendinitis in his knees, Nadal returned to professional tennis at the Rogers Cup in Montreal and went on reach the semi-final of the US Open where he was beaten by the eventual winner Juan Martin Del Potro. His performance in that match was hampered by an abdominal muscle injury.http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=4272537http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/sports/tennis/10nadal.htmlhttp://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/open/2009-09-13-nadal-injuries_N.htm

Nadal has said of his injuries : "This year not very lucky for me... A lot of bad things."http://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/open/2009-09-13-nadal-injuries_N.htm

In the first major tournament of 2010, the Australian Open, Nadal has progressed well and now faces a quarter-final match against world number four, Andy Murray.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8476598.stm

Nadal represented Spain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He won the gold medal in the men's singles event, defeating Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in the final match.NBC Olympics: Men's Singles Gold-Medal Match Shortly after the Olympics, Nadal overtook Federer as number one in the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings. Federer has previously held the top spot for a record 237 consecutive weeks.CBC.ca: It's Official: Nadal Is No. 1 (August 18, 2008)

Known for his heavy topspin, Rafael Nadal was introduced to tennis at the age of three by his uncle and now coach, Toni Nadel. Rather than train at the Spanish tennis federation, Nadal decided to remain at home and train with his uncle and attend regular school. At the age of eight, Nadal won the Under-12 Title of Majorca, but it wasn't until Nadal turned twelve that he decided to pursue tennis as a career. In 2003, Nadal became the youngest player to win two rounds at Wimbledon since Boris Becker.The U.S. Times: Rafael Nadal

Nadal announced on November 10, 2008, that he would miss the finals of the Davis Cup with tendinitis in his right knee.ESPN.com: Rafael Nadal Will Miss Davis Cup Final with Tendinitis

"The only way of finding a solution is to fight back, to move, to run, and to control that pressure."The U.S. Times: Rafael Nadal

• Mahalo's Guide to Professional Tennis
• ATP Tennis.com: Profile
  • Height: 6-1
  • Weight: 188
  • Years Pro: 6

• June 3, 1986: Born

• 2001: Turned Pro

• 2005: French Open Champion

• 2006: French Open Champion

• 2007: French Open Champion