Rafael Nadal Completes Career Grand Slam At Just 24!

This past week, Rafael 'Rafa' Nadal not only won his first U.S. Open, but also, entered the ranks of all time greats, by becoming only the seventh person in the history of tennis, to win all four Grand Slam tournaments - The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open.

And that's not all - At the age of 24, he is also the youngest player to achieve a Career Grand Slam and, the first man in 41 years to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open titles, all in the same year.

What's even more amazing, is the fact that he started 2010 on a very low note - Riddled with severe knee tendonitis, he was forced to retire from the year's first Grand Slam tournament, The Australian Open, while playing the quarterfinals against Andy Murray. Just as naysayers were predicting doom and gloom, the young player came back with a vengeance, dropping a total of only six sets on his way to the three Grand Slam victories.

What is the secret of his success? Many things of course, but mainly hard work and determination. The man who helped instill these values in him at an early age is his uncle, Toni, a tennis player himself, who first introduced Rafa to the sport, at the tender age of four.

Toni's coaching techniques were very unconventional - To improve Nadal's backhand, he forced the naturally right-handed player to practice with his left hand. A lot of Rafa's training took place on poor courts with bad tennis balls, just to show him that winning or losing isn’t about playing with good balls, courts, strings or lights but, about attitude, discipline, and perspective.

While the training has certainly been invaluable, one cannot take away Nadal's dedication and hard work, which has already led to nine Grand Slam Singles titles and even an Olympic Gold Medal in the 2008 games. Currently ranked No. I in the world, Rafa is already considered one of the greatest players of all time - And his career is nowhere close to being done. Just shows that hard work and perseverance certainly pay off!

Sources: mirror.co.uk, spanishfiestas.com,atpworldtour.com