Belmont And Belcourt Biographies - Rafael Nadal: An Unauthorized Biography

R AFAEL N ADAL

An Unauthorized Biography

Copyright 2012 by Belmont & Belcourt Biographies

All rights reserved. Neither this book nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form without permission.

eISBN: 9781619841741

Table of Contents

Sweat escapes his saturated headband and falls to the lush grass surface. His hand tightens around the vinyl grip of his trusted tennis racket. Soon, he will be known across the globe as the youngest Wimbledon player to have ever made it this far, but he must first find a weakness in his formidable opponent, who stares at him from across the majestic court.

Fans watching this grueling match become a distant sound in the background as all of his focus is now on the task at hand. His eyes block out all distractions as he awaits the mighty serve from the other side of the court. He has quickly become acquainted with what awaits him.

Unnoticed by his fans and his opponent, this champion of the court soon discovers a slight weakness in his opponent that he might be able to capitalize on to launch himself into the next round. It is such a slight weakness to the eye that many may not even notice, but his training has allowed him to notice such traits, and his skill has allowed him to use that weakness to gain the slight advantage that all players seek.

His opponents red face, profuse sweating and heavy breathing all point to one particular weakness that Nadal can use in his favorfatigue. The long, grueling match has finally taken its toll on his opponent. He will use his opponents fatigue to overcome and prevail in this final set.

As the ball is thrown into the air, awaiting the blowing strike from the racket, Rafael Nadal knows this match is now his. A slight grin crosses his face, which is matched by the growing confidence that resides within him.

Greatness Doesnt Have a Minimum Age

"He has never broken a racket in anger. It would be showing a lack of respect to people who actually have to buy the equipment to play the sport."

Uncle Toni Nadal on nephew, Rafael

When the clock struck midnight on June 3, 1986 in Manacor, Majorca, Spain, the world was not yet aware that one of the best tennis players of all time was preparing to make his way into the world. Later that day, Sebastian Nadal and Ana Maria Parera would welcome their first child, Rafael Nadal, into their family.

A few short years later, the Nadal family would welcome their second child, Maria Isabel, into the world. Rafael would become a big brother. The Nadal family was close-knit, and would remain strong throughout Rafaels soon-to-be discovered fame and fortune. Due to the creation of a strong family base, the Nadals still live together in their family home located in Manacor, Spain.

One would assume that Rafael would follow his father, Sebastian, into the business world. Considering that Sebastian Nadal owns Vidres Mallorca, which is a glass and window company, and also manages his own restaurant, Sa Punta, the son following the father would come naturally, and Rafael would have all the knowledge and opportunity that his father had. It would be quite simple for Rafael to work alongside his father, Sebastian, and one day take over one or both of his fathers businesses; however, fate and Rafael had other plans for this future tennis Hall of Famer.

Sports ran in the Nadal family and didnt steer far from Rafael. His uncle played professional soccer and another uncle was a professional tennis player. He definitely had options within the sporting world.

His Uncle Miguel Angel Nadal was a retired soccer player who had played for RCD Mallorca, the Spanish National Team, and FC Barcelona, which led Rafael to supporting soccer clubs such as Real Madrid and his Uncles old team, RCD Mallorca. Rafaels love of soccer has never left him, and he played soccer extensively as a child and showed much skill with the game. Indeed, his Uncle Miguels talents landed directly upon young Rafael, and it showed on the soccer field. From the onset, it was apparent that he was faster, more agile, and more athletically gifted than the other children on the field, and his never-ending energy made him a great threat to the other team later in the match. It seemed that Rafael would become one of the best soccer players in the world.

However, Rafaels Uncle Toni Nadal was also a sports star in his own right and wanted to show Rafael another sport to choose. A former professional tennis player, his Uncle Toni had recognized that Rafael showed a natural gift for the sport at a very early age. When Uncle Toni took his nephew, Rafael, to his first tennis court at the tender age of three, Rafael took the tennis racket and knew almost instinctively how to hold it, how to swing it, and what to do with it. From that point forward, Uncle Toni took the young Rafael under his wing and began showing him how to play the game that he loved.

At just eight years old, Rafael entered an Under-12 Regional Tournament. He would go on to win that tournament, and it would be the first glimpse of what Rafael could accomplish on the court. After that tournament, his Uncle Toni knew that Rafael had the potential to be someone special within the tennis world. He would soon intensify Rafaels tennis lessons and persuade him to switch his style to that of a left-hander. The change would give Rafael an advantage against his opponents and would prevent him from making two-handed forehand swings.

When Rafael turned twelve years old, he found himself the winner of both the Spanish and European tennis titles within his age group. He played soccer and tennis so much that his schoolwork suffered.

Having two superstar uncles in two separate sports and a father that was a very successful businessman who thought highly of education, Rafael had many options to choose from at a very young age; however, Rafael was a typical child and just wanted to play. He wanted to play any sport. Coupled with his unstoppable energy, Rafael decided to play both tennis and soccer. Why not? He had the uncles to show him all they knew, he had the natural athletic ability to be great in either sport, and was a child with a very supportive family.

For these reasons, Rafael would play both sports simultaneously until his father would make him chose just one. Sebastian did not want his sons education to suffer further because of the hectic requirements needed to keep up with two sports. Around the age of twelve, Rafael had to decide on which sport to pursue. This choice was a difficult one for the young Rafael to make. He loved tennis and soccer and wished to play them both; however, he understood his fathers concerns about his education and knew he had to make a choice. At this point, he decided to stick with tennis and become only a fan of the soccer gamea decision that would prove to be a very solid choice for him.

When he turned fourteen years old, the Spanish Tennis Federation made a request to the Nadal family. They suggested that Rafael move to Barcelona in order to continue his training. If Rafael and his family agreed, he would be provided with more financial assistance toward his tennis career. The family rejected this idea. The decision was based primarily upon his familys fear that Rafaels education would be held back due to moving to Barcelona. Secondly, Uncle Toni mentioned to the family that he refused to believe that you cant become a great champion by moving to another place. He believed that you could become great without ever leaving your home.

Had they agreed to it, the move would have meant that the family would receive financial help for Rafaels tennis lessons; however, the offer didnt get them to move away from home. Sebastian decided to pay for all of his sons tennis lessons and equipment himself. His family immensely supported this decision and they made adjustments in their lifestyles as needed. Rafael would be Manacors home-grown champion, and had all the support he would ever need.