Rafael Nadal (DOB June 03,1986)Celebrates 33rd Birthday today Monday June 03,2019

Rafael Nadal is celebrating his 33rd birthday today and he gave himself an early birthday gift on Sunday June 02,2019 when he thrashed Argentina's Juan Ignacio Londero to enter the quarter-finals of Roland Garros - a tournament he has won a record 11 times

 

11 triumphs in Paris

2005: bt Mariano Puerta (ARG) 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5

-- At just 19, Nadal became the youngest winner of a Grand Slam title since Michael Chang won at Roland Garros in 1989 at 17. He was the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the French Open on his debut. Puerta was to later fail a drugs test and handed an eight-year ban, eventually reduced to two years.

2006: bt Roger Federer (SUI) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6

-- Nadal became the first man to beat Federer in a Slam final, ending the Swiss star's hopes of holding all four majors at the same time. It was Nadal's 60th win in a row on clay.

2007: bt Roger Federer (SUI) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

-- The 21-year-old Nadal became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win three successive titles at Roland Garros. He again also shattered Federer's hopes of becoming only the third man in history to hold all four majors.

2008: bt Roger Federer (SUI) 6–1, 6–3, 6–0

-- Nadal condemned his great rival to his worst ever loss in a Grand Slam event. The Spaniard also won the title without losing a set, becoming the third man to do so in the Open era after Ilie Nastase and Borg.

2010: bt Robin Soderling (SWE) 6–4, 6–2, 6–4

-- Nadal avenged his defeat to the Swede at Roland Garros 12 months earlier. Again, Nadal finished the tournament without having dropped a set. He also regained the world number one ranking for the first time since July 2009.

2011: bt Roger Federer (SUI) 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1

-- Nadal claimed his sixth French Open to equal the record of Borg, also taking his Slam total into double figures at 10. Federer had ended Novak Djokovic's 43-match undefeated run in the semi-finals.

2012: bt Novak Djokovic (SRB) 6–4, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5

-- Nadal goes past Borg's record of six titles and ends Djokovic's bid to be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four majors. Rain meant that the final was completed on Monday which was tough on Djokovic who was a break up in the fourth set when the match was halted for the night.

2013: bt David Ferrer (ESP) 6–3, 6–2, 6–3

-- Nadal comfortably beats his compatriot for an eighth French Open but the hard yards were achieved in the semi-finals when he defeated Djokovic 6–4, 3–6, 6–1, 6–7, 9–7 in a 4-hour 37-minute epic.

2014: bt Novak Djokovic (SRB) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4

-- Title number nine in his ninth final for Nadal and his 14th Grand Slam success on an afternoon where temperatures nudged 30 degrees. It was his 45th career clay-court title.

2017: bt Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6-2, 6-3, 6-1

-- Nadal coasts to a record 10th French Open title, demolishing Wawrinka in a brutally one-sided final which also earns the Spaniard a 15th Grand Slam crown. Nadal, 31, becomes the first man in history to win the same major 10 times. It is his most one-sided final win since allowing Federer just four games in the 2008 final.

2018: bt Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

-- Nadal hails his 11th French Open title as "just incredible" despite a worrying injury scare in the closing stages of the final.

The 32-year-old world number one now has 17 Grand Slam titles, just three behind great rival Roger Federer.

Roland Garros is his home, his arena, his big stage where more often than not, he has been the last man standing. With his arms wide open and face up towards the sky, with a wide smile but sweat trickling down his face and arms, Nadal has celebrated many victories in Paris.

He has not had a brilliant year so far. It took him as long as Rome to win his first claycourt tournament this year - a rarity for the clay genius. But it came right before the French Open and the world seemed to be moving in the right direction again.

Day in and day out, Nadal is still walking out on the clay of Paris, looking to conquer a record-extending 12th French Open title. 

Such has been his dominance on this surface that Nadal holds the record for the longest single surface win streak in the Open Era with 81 consecutive match wins on clay.

However, the French capital is not the only ground where he has hunted title. Nadal has to his name three US Open titles, two Wimbledon titles, one Australian Open title, 11 Monte-Carlo Masters, 11 Barcelona titles, a record 34 ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles, 20 ATP Tour 500 titles and the 2008 Olympic gold medal in singles.

At a mere age of 8, Nadal had defeated all the big boys to win Under-12 regional tennis championship and not much later at the age of 15, he was a pro and had reached the boys' semifinal at Wimbledon.

But his age of reckoning came at 17 when a then-ranked No.34 Rafael Nadal beat world No.1 Roger Federer in the third round of Miami Masters in just the first match between the two. And there started a rivalry that has defined this era of tennis.

Federer's softness to Nadal's power. Federer's gliding backhand to Nadal's boulder-like forehand. Federer's right hand to Nadal's left hand, they have been the two sides of a single coin - one that has lifted tennis for the world.

It was Uncle Toni who pushed Nadal to be left-handed when the little Mallorcan boy used to play forehand shots with both hands. Come to think of it, the world would have been so different if not for the genius of Nadal's left hand.

Nadal and Federer have also given the world one of the greatest sporting contests - a four hour 48 minute Wimbledon final in 2008 that the Spaniard won. Nadal and Federer in their whites on the green grass of All England Club is one of the most cherished duels in the sport of tennis.

THE OTHER INTERESTS OF RAFAEL NADAL

Nadal is known for his affinity to football. He is regularly seen at Real Madrid games and has excellent ties with the club's president Florentino Perez. In fact, it is a widely known that Nadal played a part in Real Madrid signing Asensio.

However, a lesser known fact is that his uncle Miguel Angel Nadal was one of the rivals. Miguel Angel was nicknamed the The Beast of Barcelona for his tremendous physicality and Nadal was even seen in the arms of the beast once

At a mere age of 8, Nadal had defeated all the big boys to win Under-12 regional tennis championship and not much later at the age of 15, he was a pro and had reached the boys' semifinal at Wimbledon.

But his age of reckoning came at 17 when a then-ranked No.34 Rafael Nadal beat world No.1 Roger Federer in the third round of Miami Masters in just the first match between the two. And there started a rivalry that has defined this era of tennis.

Federer's softness to Nadal's power. Federer's gliding backhand to Nadal's boulder-like forehand. Federer's right hand to Nadal's left hand, they have been the two sides of a single coin - one that has lifted tennis for the world.

It was Uncle Toni who pushed Nadal to be left-handed when the little Mallorcan boy used to play forehand shots with both hands. Come to think of it, the world would have been so different if not for the genius of Nadal's left hand.

Nadal and Federer have also given the world one of the greatest sporting contests - a four hour 48 minute Wimbledon final in 2008 that the Spaniard won. Nadal and Federer in their whites on the green grass of All England Club is one of the most cherished duels in the sport of tennis.

THE OTHER INTERESTS OF RAFAEL NADAL

Nadal is known for his affinity to football. He is regularly seen at Real Madrid games and has excellent ties with the club's president Florentino Perez. In fact, it is a widely known that Nadal played a part in Real Madrid signing Asensio.

However, a lesser known fact is that his uncle Miguel Angel Nadal was one of the rivals. Miguel Angel was nicknamed the The Beast of Barcelona for his tremendous physicality and Nadal was even seen in the arms of the beast once

Rafael Nadal is a "mad PlayStation fan and he takes it all around the world," commentator and renowned tennis coach Roger Rasheed had said in 2017. He has previously even spoken of his FIFA battles with fellow tennis star Andy Murray and Real Madrid being his favorite football team.

Nadal is also widely known for his idiosyncrasies on the tennis court. Walking on court with a single racket in hand, placing all of his water bottles in a particular order and avoiding stepping on court lines are some of his habits that can never go unnoticed.

According to his 2011 autobiography Rafa, Nadal always takes a bath with "freezing cold water" before every match. Another match ritual or a habit that somewhat handles his injury-prone body.

14 years ago, at the age of 19, Nadal had debuted at French Open and had won his first Gram Slam title.

Now at the age of 33, he is going for his 12th - a feat that will only grow his already-existing legend.