10 things you should know about Rafael Nadal

If you are an inveterate lover of sport, and especially tennis, you probably have Rafael Nadal Parera as a reference; considered one of the best tennis players in the world according to the Association of Professional Tennis Players.

The Mallorcan played tennis, football and basketball from a very young age, but it was not until he was 14 years old that he fully focused on racket sports. His achievements include thirteen victories at the Roland Garros, twenty at the Grand Slam, two at the Wimbledon Championships, one at the Open of Australia and four at the US Open.

he Not only is he the Spanish tennis player with the most achievements in history, but he is also the second tennis player in the world with the most titles won. In short, Rafa Nadal has earned all the victories he enjoys today. If the tennis player's professional and personal career is interesting to you, don't miss today's post: we tell you 10 curiosities about the life of Rafa Nadal.

1. Why does the tennis player play with his left?

Toni Nadal , who is his uncle, has accompanied him as a coach since he was very young, she was also the person who advised him to start hitting with his left instead of his right. Rafa played with both hands from a very young age, and Toni, not knowing that he was right-handed and seeing him hit with his left hand, encouraged him to continue on this path. This way he would gain distinction and personality in the game and would also be a great match for his opponents. Since then, Toni Nadal has always supported him in all his competitions and tournaments, and of course, Rafa continues to play with his left.

2. What has been one of your most amazing triumphs?

In 2001, an exhibition match was being played on clay in Mallorca and Rafa Nadal went to see it when Boris Becker, a professional tennis player who was playing against Pat Cash, injured just before the game. At this time, Nadal was offered to play against the Australian opponent who had already won a Wimbledon Cup by then. At 15 years old, the Mallorcan tennis player accepted, and not only enjoyed the game, but also beat Pat Cash.

3. What relationship does Rafa Nadal have with Miguel Ángel Nadal?

Miguel Ángel Nadal, is the paternal uncle of the tennis player. He was also a great lover of sports. He played tennis, becoming youth champion of the Balearic Islands, and also soccer, defending the F.C. Barcelona and Real Mallorca. In addition, he played for eighteen seasons in a row in the Spanish Soccer League. In this way, his uncle instilled in him a passion for soccer and tennis, supporting him from his first racket hits when he was only 3 years old.

4. Did you know that Nadal is the youngest player to win an official ATP match?

In 2002, Rafa Nadal played professionally in the Mallorca International Series, where he attended as a guest, and beat Ramón Delgado, a player 10 years older than He who was ranked 81st worldwide at that time. This victory marked a before and after in his career as a tennis player, and from this moment, determination, perseverance and effort made Nadal quickly fill with achievements.

5. The tennis player created the Rafa Nadal Foundation.

Rafa Nadal founded in 2008 together with his mother, Ana María Parera, a non-profit organization through which they help young peoplewith intellectual disabilities and in vulnerable conditions to integrate socially and promote sporting talent without problems. The tennis player has always had acts of altruism, having donated millions of euros to NGOs around the world and supporting different disadvantaged causes throughout his career.

6. What profession did Rafa Nadal's grandfather have?

Mestre Rafael Nadal, was a musician from Manacor (Mallorca). He was born in 1929 in the same city as Rafa Nadal and from a very young age he began his artistic career at the Professional Conservatory of Music and Dance of the Balearic Islands and at the Higher School of Music in Valencia.

In addition to belonging to the choir and orchestra for many years of his life, he also became director of the Agrupación Artística de Manacor . Later, when he had already won several socio-cultural awards from the government, he fully entered the Teatro Principal de Palma, where he was responsible for its artistic activity until his death in 2015.

7. What is the name of Rafa Nadal's Tennis Academy?

Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy. This is the name of the academy founded by the tennis player in 2018 in Mallorca, an educational opportunity that offers young people and adolescents from all over the world the possibility of having Rafa Nadal as mentors, his uncle Toni Nadal and Carlos Moyá, among many other professionals. The academy has wanted to combine the importance of educational values ​​with the passion for sport. In this way, and through an American methodology, the teachers try to instill in the students the tenacity, perseverance and determination that is required to be a professional tennis player, but without neglecting academic training.

8. Did Rafa Nadal finish his high school studies?

The tennis player, much to his regret, found himself having to give up his studies in 4th ESO, a course in which he substituted the institute for the tennis courts. Rafa Nadal opted for racket sports, and given the demands that this requires, he could not combine training with classes. Later, in 2014, the University of the Balearic Islands wanted to name him Doctor Honoris Causa, a title that he rejected due to the media uproar created among the masses.

9. Did you know that Rafa Nadal is a madrinista?

The tennis player, whose passion for soccer has been plausible since he was little, has been a Real Madrid player since he can remember. Whenever his professional career allows him, he goes to see all his team's matches to show support and dedication towards it. At the age of 19, it was an honor for the tennis player to receive the first Roland Garros trophy of his career from Zinedine Zidane, an idol for Rafa Nadal.

10 Who is Rafa Nadal's best friend?

In addition to sharing great professional moments with the Catalan, Rafa Nadal relied on Pau Gasol to replace him as Spain's flag bearer at the 2012 London Olympics due to an injury that prevented the tennis player from fulfilling with this title. Likewise, we have been able to see them together on their social networks in numerous professional and personal events.

If there is one thing that is clear, it is that Rafa Nadal is deserving of all the titles and achievements that she boasts. From a very young age, he has bet everything on tennis, and in this way, with hard work and effort, he has managed to reach the top, being one of the best tennis players in the world according to the ATP. If, like us, you are also an unconditional fan of Rafa, these 10 curiosities will surely have surprised you.