22 Grand Slam titles, including a record 14 victories at Roland Garros. Rafael Nadal’s record of achievements commands admiration. Here’s a look back at the career of a sportsman who made his mark from the age of 15.
‘I’m here to tell you that I’m retiring from professional tennis’. With these words, Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from tennis on 10 October. The 38-year-old Spaniard will play his last match in mid-November, during the Davis Cup finals. ‘It’s obviously a difficult decision, and it’s taken me a long time to make it. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. I think it’s the right time to end this long career, which has been much more fruitful than I could ever have imagined. A career that began in 2001 and has continued to impress the sporting world ever since.
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A promising start
Born in Mallorca, Spain, in 1986, Rafael Nadal soon had a racket in his hands. His left, to be precise. Preferring tennis to football and basketball, which he had also played in his youth, the young sportsman played in, and won, his first official competition at the age of eight.
After several tournaments, including the landmark Open Super 12 in Auray, he turned professional in 2001, at the age of 14, when he won a match against Pat Cash, then aged 36. A year later, he won his first official match on clay.
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Featured photo : Rafael Nadal © Richard Mille
