Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is one of the most exciting tennis players of his generation. An agile and powerful young opponent, with five grand-slam singles titles under his belt by the age of 22, he is undoubtedly one of the hottest tennis stars in the world right now. Brought up in the Mallorcan town of Manacor, amongst a family of successful sportsmen, Rafa started playing tennis at just three years of age. At 12 he had won Spanish and European titles for his age group. And by the age of 16 he was ranked in the world's top 50 players. An extremely athletic and determined player, Nadal has taken the tennis world by storm. Originally considered a clay-court specialist - he has racked up four consecutive wins at the French Open - over the past few years he has proved his incredible ability on many different surfaces. Most memorably in his epic win in 2008's Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. He is one of only three players to have won both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. A must-read for any sports fan.