Spain’s best tennis player ever. The greatest clay court player the world has seen. The man who dethroned Roger Federer at his peak. All true, but equally so is the fact that Rafa remains utterly focused and almost painfully modest. On the tennis court, he’s a fist-pumping, grunting primate with a bandana and wicked ground-strokes; off it, he’s a quietly spoken Majorcan who looks like he can never quite believe what he’s achieved. … [Read more...] about Rafa Nadal
spanish tennis
2011: Grand Slams, Liga intrigue and drugs
Last year was a pretty remarkable one for Spanish sport, doping scandals aside. With the World Cup win in South Africa the obvious pinnacle, there was glory for Spain in football, tennis, swimming and basketball. But what does 2011 hold in store for the country’s athletes and national teams? In tennis, world number one Rafael Nadal has opened his campaign at the Australian Open, seeking to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slams. Nadal already ranks seventh in the list of overall Grand Slam winners with nine, is one of three players in the open era to hold a Golden Slam, one of only seven in history to have achieved the career slam and the only player to … [Read more...] about 2011: Grand Slams, Liga intrigue and drugs