Country Flag of Spain Spain
Residence Flag of Spain Manacor, Majorca, Spain
Date of birth June 3, 1986 (1986-06-03) (age 22)
Place of birth Flag of Spain Manacor, Majorca, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 85.0 kg (187 lb; 13.39 st)
Turned pro 2001
Plays Left-handed; two-handed backhand
Career prize money US$ 24,910,508
5th All-time leader in earnings
Residence Flag of Spain Manacor, Majorca, Spain
Date of birth June 3, 1986 (1986-06-03) (age 22)
Place of birth Flag of Spain Manacor, Majorca, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 85.0 kg (187 lb; 13.39 st)
Turned pro 2001
Plays Left-handed; two-handed backhand
Career prize money US$ 24,910,508
5th All-time leader in earnings
Rafael Nadal was born in Manacor, Majorca to Sebastián Nadal and Ana María Parera. He has a younger sister named María Isabel. His uncle, Miguel Ángel Nadal, is a retired professional football player, having played for RCD Mallorca, FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team.Nadal supports football clubs Real Madrid and RCD Mallorca.His other uncle, Toni Nadal, a former professional tennis player, introduced him to tennis when he was three years old. Toni Nadal has been coaching him ever since.Toni spotted that Nadal had a natural talent for tennis, and at eight he won an under-12 year regional tennis championship at a time where he was also a promising football player.This made Toni Nadal intensify training, and at that time he encouraged Nadal to play left-handed, as he noticed Nadal played forehand shots with two hands. The natural right-handed Nadal took the advice.When Nadal was 12, he won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group and was playing tennis and football all the time.Nadal's father made him choose between football and tennis so that his school work would not suffer. Nadal said: "I chose tennis. Football had to stop straight away."
When he was 14, the Spanish tennis federation requested that he leave Mallorca and move to Barcelona to continue his tennis progression and training. Nadal's family turned down this request, partly because they feared it would hurt his education,but also because Toni Nadal said that "I don't want to believe that you have to go to America, or other places to be a good athlete. You can do it from your house."The decision to stay home meant that Nadal received less financial support from the federation; instead Nadal's father covered the costs. In May 2001, he defeated former Grand Slam champion Pat Cash in a clay-court exhibition match.By the age of 16, Nadal was ranked in the world's top 50 players.
When he was 14, the Spanish tennis federation requested that he leave Mallorca and move to Barcelona to continue his tennis progression and training. Nadal's family turned down this request, partly because they feared it would hurt his education,but also because Toni Nadal said that "I don't want to believe that you have to go to America, or other places to be a good athlete. You can do it from your house."The decision to stay home meant that Nadal received less financial support from the federation; instead Nadal's father covered the costs. In May 2001, he defeated former Grand Slam champion Pat Cash in a clay-court exhibition match.By the age of 16, Nadal was ranked in the world's top 50 players.
