On this date in 1986, tennis star Rafael Nadal was born in the Balearic Islands, off the coast of Spain. Nadal began playing tennis when he was three years old and is consistently ranked as one of the best tennis players in the world. He has earned over $50 million in prize money from playing tennis, second only to Roger Federer. He represented Spain in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and won the gold medal in mens tennis singles. He won the Australian Open in 2009; the French Open in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012; Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010, and the US Open in 2010. He earned the nickname the king of clay because of his success playing on clay courts. The French Open, where he has won the most titles, is played on a clay court. Nadal became the face for Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans in 2011, a position that has been held previously by Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham. Shakira also featured Nadal in the music video for her hit song, Gypsy. Nadal is a soccer fan, and his favorite teams are Real Madrid and RCD Mallorca. He has been dating Maria Francisca Perello, who works for an insurance company, since 2005. Nadal and Perello are known for being down to earth and not seeking out the spotlight. He is an active philanthropist. He has helped plant trees in Thailand and has his own non-profit, Fundacion Rafa Nadal. His foundation focuses on helping children in his native Spain, where he has supported the Special Olympics, which expanded to helping children in India, where the foundation helped build a school in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 11:20:07 +0000
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