Fine Wine #21: Rafael Nadal

As promised over the weekend, we have another addition to the Fine Wine list... tennis player Rafael Nadal.  I hesitated adding Nadal to the list since he is only 18 years old (turns 19 in June!)... but just a reminder, the FW list is not all about lust... after all, the honorees have to be accomplishing something in order to get on the list in the first place!  And 18 is considered legal most everywhere, right?!

Hyped for the last couple of years, Nadal is having his breakthrough season this year.  He has won 3 tournaments already in 2005 (including a major title in Monte Carlo last week)... his 30-6 record is second only to #1 Roger Federer, and he has earned $1 million+ in four months' time -- not bad huh?!   Currently the #11 ranked player in the world (up 40 spots since December!), he should have no problems breaking into the Top 10 in the next couple of weeks (in fact, I suspect he will be around/in the Top 5 after the French Open).

Nadal was born June 3rd, 1986 (yikes!) in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain (which he still calls home).  His full name is Rafael Nadal Parera.  He turned pro in 2002, winning his first professional match at 15 years, 10 months (only the 9th player to do so under the age of 16).  He plays left handed (a big advantage in tennis) and has a two-handed backhand.

His favorite playing surface is clay (no surprise for a Spaniard) -- all 3 of his titles this year came on the dirt (although he did make the finals of the big hardcourt tournament in Miami as well).  He is the prohibitive favorite to win the French Open -- a tournament he has never played!  Freaky injuries have caused him to miss Roland Garros in Paris for the past two years.

Nadal's physical transformation over the past year has been stunning.  Even a year back, he looked more like a potential candidate for Menudo than a professional athlete. The 2005 media guide lists him at 6'0 165 lbs -- but the ATP website (which I assume is more current) has him at 6'1" 188 lbs ... and given what I have seen on TV and photos it looks to be that the latter is true (As usual, click on the pic for a slightly larger pop-up view). Andre Agassi recently said comparing his body at age 18 to Nadal's would be like a 12 year old vs. a 26 year old.

So if you are flipping thru the dial and see some tennis and Nadal is playing... stay tuned... he is a fun player to watch and certainly is going to be around for a long time!

Alas we do bid goodbye to Nick Lachey -- perhaps long overdue, but Nick can thank our procrastination... as we just finished up watching the last two TiVo'd episodes of Newlyweds this past weekend.  But I am sure we will re-visit Nick when we get around to honoring the top of the FW Spring 2005 crop.... and who knows with another MTV reality series in the works (tentatively titled The Nick Lachey Project - following Nick as he records a new album) we may even see in back on the list!

Comments

[Scott C]

Nice addition....

I will miss Nick...

[mamta]

hi this is ur fan from nepal ,country of highest peak (mt. everest) nepal.if u promish to come in dream than i am ready to sleep forever.

[Rafaelmaster]

I think Rafa is in a bad moment right now, cause he recently crashed in Majorca (where he lives). I just wanted yu to know that.

[LUISA BASTOS ABREU]

rafa nadal e um tesao um gostosao e um homem COM LETRA maiuscula homem com HHHHHHHHHHHH UH DELICIOSO