World No. 5 Rafael Nadal is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and the Spanish ace has dominated clay like few others before him. He is also the Achilles’ heel of undisputed GOAT and longtime rival Roger Federer, whom he leads at 23-11 in the pair’s head-to-head.
Nadal has not been having a particularly strong tennis season, ousted in the first round of the Australian Open this year by Davis Cup teammate Fernando Verdasco in his earliest ever Grand Slam exit.
But tennis is not the only sport the 34-year-old is adept at. Playing at Monte Carlo’s ATP Masters event and due to face Briton Aljaz Bedene, Nadal will be positive going into his first match of the tournament. It’s played on the Spaniard’s pet surface, clay, and he has won the title 8 times in the past.
He manages to use the small tennis ball like a football, showing us just why he is considered one of the best athletes in the history of the sport:
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
