Rafael Nadal

Nadal has been married to Maria Francisca Perelló, commonly known as Xisca, since November 2019. They began dating in 2005 and became engaged in January 2019.

Nadal and Perelló have one son, Rafael Jr., who was born in October 2022.

Nadal began playing tennis at the age of four under the guidance of his uncle Toni Nadal, who remained his principal coach during his professional career. His other uncle, Miguel Ángel Nadal, was a professional football player who represented Barcelona and Spain, and Rafael also played football before choosing tennis.

Although Nadal was naturally right-handed, Toni encouraged him to play tennis left-handed. Nadal developed a two-handed backhand and a powerful topspin forehand, techniques that became central to his style. By the age of 12, he was winning Spanish and European titles in his age group.

Nadal turned professional in 2001 at age 15. In 2002 he won his first ATP match before turning 16, and in 2003 he finished the season ranked among the world's top 50 players.

Nadal's breakthrough came in 2005, when he won 11 singles titles, including the French Open on his tournament debut. He defeated Roger Federer in the semifinals and rose to No. 2 in the world rankings. His success on clay led to the nickname "King of Clay."

Nadal and Federer became major rivals during the next several seasons. Nadal defeated Federer in the 2006 and 2007 French Open finals, while Federer beat Nadal in the 2006 and 2007 Wimbledon finals. In 2008 Nadal won his fourth consecutive French Open and then defeated Federer in a five-set Wimbledon final that lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes.

The 2008 Wimbledon victory made Nadal the first man since Björn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. He also won singles gold at the Beijing Olympics and took the world No. 1 ranking from Federer in August.

Nadal won his first Australian Open in 2009 and completed a career Grand Slam by winning the U.S. Open in 2010. His 2010 season also included victories at the French Open and Wimbledon. He became only the second man to complete a career Golden Slam, consisting of all four major tournaments and an Olympic singles gold medal.

His dominance at Roland Garros continued with French Open victories from 2010 through 2014, followed by further titles in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. His seventh French Open title in 2012 broke Björn Borg's men's record, and his eighth title in 2013 made him the first man to win the same Grand Slam singles event eight times.

Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2020 French Open final to win his 20th Grand Slam title. In 2022 he overcame Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final for his 21st major title, then won a 14th French Open and a 22nd Grand Slam championship.

Injuries repeatedly interrupted Nadal's career. He missed tournaments because of foot, wrist, knee, abdominal, hip, and other physical problems, including much of the 2021 season because of a lingering foot injury. In 2022 he was diagnosed with Mueller-Weiss syndrome, a condition associated with chronic pain in his left foot.

Nadal returned to competition in 2024 but lost in the first round of the French Open, the first such defeat of his career at the tournament. He later announced that he would retire after representing Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in November.

His final professional match came on November 19, 2024, when he lost to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in Spain's Davis Cup tie. Nadal finished with 22 Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic gold medals, and 14 French Open championships.

Nadal competed at four Olympic Games. He won the men's singles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the men's doubles gold medal with Marc López at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Nadal established the Rafa Nadal Foundation in 2008. The foundation promotes physical activity and supports educational opportunities for underprivileged children. His wife, Maria Francisca Perelló, began working for the foundation in 2012 and became its chief executive in 2019.