Born in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain, on June 3, 1986, Nadal started his tennis journey at the age of 4, under the guidance of his uncle, Toni Nadal. Despite briefly pursuing football, inspired by another uncle, former international and Barcelona footballer Miquel Àngel Nadal, he eventually dedicated himself entirely to tennis.

His tennis talent quickly became evident and a teenage Nadal turned professional in 2001 at just 15. The following year, he became the youngest tennis player to win a match on the professional circuit and later at just 18, he reached the semifinals of the 2002 Wimbledon tournament.

In 2004, he claimed his first ATP Tour title and played a pivotal role in Spain’s Davis Cup victory over the USA, The next year, he won his first French Open title, defeating then-World No. 1 Roger Federer in the semifinals and ascending to the world No. 2 ranking.