In the class of tennis greats where you find people like Roger Federer and Serena Williams, where you will also find Rafael Nadal. Professional tennis player from Spain who has been able to dominate the tennis world since his professional debut in 2001. With nearly 80 titles to his name, here is what you need to know about the Spanish tennis player..
Rafael Nadal Biography
It’s like Rafael Nadal Parera that the recurringThe world number 1 in tennis was born on June 3, 1986 in the Balearic Islands in Spain. He was raised alongside his younger sister by their parents, Sebastián Nadal and his mother in their hometown.
While his father is a businessman and his mother a housewife, he grew up loving sports and playing tennis. Interestingly, athletics was not far from his family as he had an uncle who played professional football, Miguel Ángel Nadal, as well as another, Toni Nadal, who played tennis and even played a part decisive in Rafael’s participation in this sport. just three.
Soon after he started playing as a child, it became apparent that he was made for sports and would become dominant even if he played football and tennis. Soon after, he quit football to focus on tennis and it quickly started paying off when he started winning championships when he was just 8 years old.
Later, to be known for taking a bite out of his trophies, Rafael Nadal turned professional at the age of 15. He went on to win the ATP Newcomer of the Year award in 2003 and continues to climb until he reached world No. 1 on August 8, 2008.
Having won his first Grand Slam title in 2005, he will eventually appear in the 23 by the end of 2017. Of the 23, he won 16, losing 3 to Roger Federer, 3 to Novak Djokovic and 1 to Stan Wawrinka . Interestingly, he beat Federer 6 times and only had the last laugh three times against Djokovic.
At the 2018 Wimbledon Open, Djokovic beat Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 10-8 after one of the longest semifinals at a major tennis tournament. It was Nadal’s first semi-final loss at Wimbledon.
His career glory so far is exemplified by nearly 80 career titles and still counting, as well as two Olympic gold medals he won at Beijing 2008 (in singles) and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. (two fold).
Net value
Rafael Nadal is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players to walk the earth. Thanks to this, he managed to make a great fortune. In 2017, Forbes magazine ranked Nadal among the 100 highest paid athletes in the world. He clinched 33rd place, earning $31.5 million, consisting of $5.5 million in salary and revenue and $26 million in endorsement.
As for his overall net worth, Nadal is estimated to be over $100 million. During his career, he won $82 million in prize money which, together with his many endorsement deals, made him a wealthy man. He has notably signed contracts with brands such as Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Babolat, Kia and Gocycle. Most of the endorsement deals are still ongoing.
Sister, Girlfriend and Wife
Nadal was raised next to his younger sister, María Isabel Nadal. The two have not only remained very close, she is always there to cheer him up and as a result, she is very popular during his matches.
Apart from his sister and of course his mother, another person very close to him is his girlfriend, Maria Francisca Perello. She has been with the tennis player since they started dating in 2005. Before deciding to start a relationship, the Spaniards had known each other for a few years.
Even though she is dating a man who is constantly in the eyes of the media, Maria Francisca Perello is completely media shy and private which has kept her away from social media.
Although they have been together for a good part of their lives, Maria has not yet become Rafael’s wife and no engagement announcement has been made as of mid-2018.
Height and width
As with many other tennis players, the Spanish star has good height and bodybuilding. It’s one of the things that helped him get to where he is in the sport, besides his skills and talent.
It stands 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) above the ground and weighs 85 kg (188 lb). Overall, Nadal has a 41-inch chest, 33-inch waist and 15-inch biceps. More so, he wears a shoe size of 10 (US).