Nadal, Rafael
Rafael Nadal (Rafael Nadal Parera), 1986–, Spanish tennis player, b. Majorca. Widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player ever, "Rafa" turned professional at 15. In 2005 he won his first major, the French Open. He has since won it a record total of nine times (2005–8, 2010–14); four times he defeated Roger Federer in the finals (2006–8, 2011). In 2008 he won Wimbledon, again defeating Federer in the final, and also won gold at the summer Olympic Games. He has since won the Australian Open (2009, facing Federer in the final), Wimbledon (2010), and the U.S. Open (2010, 2013). The 2010 U.S. Open win made him the youngest player in the Open Era to win a career grand slam.
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