German Tennis Magazine, July 2003
Translated from German to English by Tatjana
Scans of the article are below, courtesy of Corina

He is 17 years old and he`s already one of the best players in the world. A sensation! The last one who reached this destination so early was Michael Chang, 15 years ago. Experts predict a great future.

Not a lot of people are aware of the big stories. Monte Carlo Country Club in May. The sun has already set and the floodlights are turned on. Most spectators have already left the grounds! They are at home or their hotels. Or in "Stars and Bars" a sportsbar to take a drink. Rafael Nadal prefers a sip of water! Before he walks on the court again he adjusts white bandana, with which he controls his long mane! It�s the last changeover. Ten minutes later the match is over. The geek, Nadal, won 7:5 6:3. The loser is Albert Costa, French Open winner 2002. But there`s one positive aspect for Costa too. He`s one part of a historic moment.

Rafael Nadal is only 16 years old. And after this 2nd round match in Monte Carlo he belongs to the best 100 players in the world. Since Michael Chang in 1988 no other player was so good so early! Not Lleyton Hewitt, not Marat Safin, not even Roger Federer. And even the venerable London Times cheered: " A star is born!"

The spanish press celebrates Nadal for a long time as a star or a pearl. Last year he played his first ATP match in Mallorca and he won. He was 15 years and 10 months old.

Now the pearl is sitting in the player`s restaurant in Hamburg,Germany. He seems to be small but that must be his childish face. The truth is, he`s really tall, 6`0! His handshake is limp, which is indeed very astonishing, if you think of his hard groundstrokes. During our conversation his brown eyes are moving to our neighbour's table, to the TV, to the display of his cell phone! But what are we expecting of a 16 year old guy? Maybe that he fixes his eyes on the person he`s talking to like an old business professional? That he is able to formulate sentences which are ready for the press? Does he have the feeling to be a teen star? " No, not at all!", answers Nadal with a low voice. He speaks Spanish. But he always tries to improve his English! "I�m only concentrating on my tennis. That`s the only thing I�m interested in!"

He does not like to read stories about himself, even if he knows that there`ll be more and more stories the more he wins! Like today! "The future of tennis", writes a newspaper in Hamburg. The day before the qualifier Nadal has beaten Carlos Moya in a fantastic match. Amazing is that afterwards Nadal seemed to be more disappointed than his fellow countryman. " I felt so sorry for him because he did not play his best tennis!", informed Nadal to the amazed journalists. You have to know that Moya and Nadal have a special relationship! Both are from Mallorca -- Moya from Palma - Nadal from Manacor -- the second biggest city of the island.

And both have learned from the same coach - Jofre Porta. As Rafa, that�s how his friends call him, was 10 years old he met Moya at a juniors tournament. Since them, Moya is like a big brother for him! Today they are practising together and Moya gives him a lot of tips. "That Carlos supports me is fantastic", says Rafael. But Moya is not the only spectacular name in Rafael`s vita.

His uncle is Miguel Angel, who played as a defender in the spanish soccer national team in the past. Another uncle, Toni Nadal, is coaching his nephew since he`s 4 years old and hit his first balls. In the meantime Carlos Costa is one member of Nadal`s team too. The spanish top player - in 1992 he was one of the top ten players in the world - is working as a manager for IMG.

Pretty good conditions for Rafael. His father is working in a company and his mother is a housewife. He gets along very well with the other spanish players too. He practises with them in Barcelona when he`s not playing tournaments or is cramming for his high school diploma.

"He is pysically already as strong as the best players in the world", judges Juan Carlos Ferrero. Do you need an example? Alex Corretja was leading 3:0 against Nadal in Barcelona, in April. The next 6 games were won by the 16 year old boy. Another key to success is his mental strength. Fighting to the last point is his motto.

Although Rafael still has some lacks in his game, his service and his yolleys for example. His favorite surface is clay, not a surprise for a spanish guy! But he seems to be good on grasscourts too. Last year he reached the semifinals of the junior Wimbledon tournament. How good can that kid get? Moya says:" He is impressing me more and more each day. Rafael will be the youngest number one ever!" Almost 4 years to go for Rafael. Lleyton Hewitt was the best player in the world with 20 years and 8 months!

Rafael Nadal-
Facts and Figures

Birthday: 6/3/2025
Place of birth: Manacor, Mallorca
Place of residence: Manacor, Mallorca
Height: 6`0
Weight: 165lb
Plays professional tennis since 2001
Coach: Toni Nadal
Managment: Carlos Costa, IMG
Raquet: Babolat Pure Drive
Clothing: Nike





**Thanks for the translation, Tatjana! And thanks to Corina for providing the magazine for us to scan. Please do not copy or use on other sites without permission of VamosRafael.com**

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