NADAL. Despite his foot injury, Rafael Nadal trained this Wednesday, May 18 at Roland-Garros. In search of a 22nd Grand Slam and a 14th coronation at the French Open, the Spaniard did not show any outward sign of suffering. have.
Rafael Nadal is present at Roland-Garros! Uncertain due to a recurring foot injury, the Spaniard arrived in Paris on Wednesday May 18 before training from 6:00 p.m. with Jaume Munar, without any sign of pain. Accompanied in France by his personal doctor, the native of Manacor has never arrived so unprepared for the French Open. A few days away, tennis fans are wondering if “Rafa” will be able to get a 14th Mousquetaires Cup. On the one hand, if there is a player capable of winning at Roland-Garros without any real preparation on clay, it is Rafael Nadal. Master of the place on the Porte d’Auteuil side, the Spaniard has forged a special history with the Parisian Grand Slam. His foolproof mind can allow him to overcome this recurring pain.
On the other hand, the fight for the final victory at the French Open has never been so close in recent years. In 2022, Novak Djokovic will want to catch up with the Majorcan in the number of Grand Slams, Stefanos Tsitsipas is still chasing his first Grand Slam title like Carlos Alcaraz, new nugget of world tennis who eliminated in Madrid Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexandre Zverev in the same week. It is not the first time that the most successful Grand Slam player in history has arrived at Roland-Garros with health problems. In 2016, he withdrew in the third round against his compatriot Marcel Granollers because of his left wrist. Tennis fans will quickly be fixed on the state of health of “Rafa” as soon as he enters the competition.
Short biography of Rafael Nadal. Rafael Nadal was born on June 3, 1986 in Manacor, a town on the island of Majorca in Spain. Attracted very early by sport, in particular football and basketball, he discovered tennis and held a racket from the age of four where he benefited from the skills of his uncle Toni Nadal to teach him the discipline. Very quickly, Toni Nadal will transform his nephew into a real “monster of tennis”, capable of winning the biggest trophies. He won his first competition at eight years old in the Balearic Islands.
When he was 14, the Spanish tennis federation asked him to leave his hometown of Manacor to join Barcelona to continue his progress with the aim of becoming a professional. But the Nadal family refuses to see little Rafael join Catalonia and the federation reduces the amount of its aid, which will be compensated by Rafael’s father to meet the needs of his son. A true hope of Spanish tennis, the native of Manacor won the “Petits As” tournament in Tarbes in 2000, the unofficial World Championship for 13-14 year olds where he notably beat the Frenchman Richard Gasquet. He turned professional in 2001 after replacing Boris Becker in an exhibition in Mallorca against Pat Cash where ‘Rafa’ won against the then 36-year-old American.
After being a Wimbledon semi-finalist for the Juniors in 2002, nothing can stop Rafael Nadal, who immediately imposed himself on the ATP world circuit. Winner of his first Grand Slam tournament at the age of 19, Rafael Nadal enjoys an extraordinary track record. The Mallorcan has won 21 Grand Slam tournaments, including thirteen on the clay courts of Roland-Garros, a record. Olympic medalist in 2008, quadruple winner of the Davis Cup with Spain, Rafael Nadal has won everything during his career. Considered the best clay court player in the history of tennis, “Rafa” managed to dethrone Roger Federer from his world number one spot on August 18, 2008. A place he then held for 46 consecutive weeks.
Born right-handed, Rafael Nadal plays tennis with his left hand, his uncle having chosen to develop this aspect of his game to obtain a more powerful two-handed backhand. Known for his fair play and sportsmanship, Rafael Nadal is also renowned for being one of the most combative players on the circuit and an excellent defender who is difficult to overwhelm. His numerous routines during a match (meticulously placing his water bottles, touching his nose and then his hair at each point, etc.) are another characteristic of the character.
Since the beginning of his professional career in 2001, Rafael Nadal has won 91 titles, including 21 Grand Slams (2 Australian Open, 13 Roland-Garros, 2 Wimbledon and 4 US Open). Of 1258 professional matches played, the Majorcan won 1048.
Since his time on the professional circuit in 2001, Rafael Nadal has won nearly $130 million in prize money ($128,081,950m). His personal fortune is estimated at just over 200 million dollars, the Majorcan has invested his money in real estate markets or in his foundation to help underprivileged or disabled children by using sport as a means of integration.
The most successful player in the history of Roland-Garros, Rafael Nadal has a special relationship with the Parisian Grand Slam, which he has won thirteen times, including four times without losing a set (2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020). This tournament is special for the Mallorcan, so much so that he has his statue near the Porte d’Auteuil.
Sincerely moved, “Rafa” said: “It’s something special and important for me. It’s the most important tournament of my career. When I come here, I feel like home.”
In the top 10 since 2005, Rafael Nadal became on March 3 the only player in history with 6,000 consecutive days spent in the top 10 places in the ATP rankings. A unique performance for the one who managed to dethrone Roger Federer to the rank of world No. 1, a place last occupied by the Spaniard on January 20, 2020.
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