Today, Wednesday, June 3, 2015, Rafael Nadal is celebrating his 29th birthday. This is an opportunity for LEC to wish him a very happy birthday—and, as part of your upcoming tennis language trip, to tell you a little more about him.
A champion born in the Balearic Islands
Rafael Nadal is one of the sports figures you’re most likely to hear about during a tennis language study trip, but also during a language study trip to Spain : this champion, who in many ways seems superhuman, was born in Manacor, a town on the island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands.
A young prodigy from a family of athletes
Rafael Nadal developed a passion for sports at a very young age; his uncle, a defender for both the Barcelona soccer team and the Spanish national team, certainly played a part in that. But rather than the allure of soccer, the young Spaniard was drawn to tennis—a sport he would play left-handed, despite being right-handed!
The King of Clay
Nicknamed Rafa and El Matador, Rafael Nadal can boast another nickname: that of King of Clay. No one deserves this unofficial title more than he does: in ten appearances at the legendary Roland Garros tournament, he has won the championship nine times!
A Grand Slam champion
Off the clay courts, Rafael Nadal is just as impressive—for proof, one need only look at his Grand Slam record:
- In 2008 and 2010, he won Wimbledon
- In 2009, he emerged victorious from the Australian Open
- In 2010 and 2013, he triumphed at the US Open
Can anyone top that? If you want to achieve a record likeEl Matador’s, you’d better start with a tennis language immersion program…