Nadal was aged three when he was introduced to tennis by his uncle Toni, who encouraged him to transition to playing left-handed after seeing how strongly he could hit the ball.
He turned professional aged 15 and three years later helped Spain win the 2004 Davis Cup as they beat the United States, with Nadal defeating world number two Andy Roddick.
The following year, he began his dominance of the French Open, beating Argentina’s Mariano Puerta in the final.
Nadal’s five-set win over Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final – an epic that finished 12 minutes short of five hours – is regarded as one of the best matches in history and one of the pinnacles of their 15-year rivalry.
In between those two finals, he won the 2009 Australian Open for the first time with another five-set victory over Federer, and completed the career Grand Slam at the 2010 US Open.
Although he won all four majors, Nadal will forever be synonymous with the French Open, where a metallic statue of him hitting his trademark forehand was built in 2021.
From 2005 to 2014, he won nine of 10 Roland Garros titles and then five of six between 2017 and 2022.
In 14 final appearances, he was never taken to five sets, beating Federer in four finals and Djokovic three times.
Of his four French Open losses, Djokovic defeated him twice with Alexander Zverev this year and Robin Soderling in 2009 the other two men to topple him.
Fittingly, his final major title came at the French Open in 2022, two days after his 36th birthday.
Nadal’s success and longevity is even more remarkable considering the series of longer-term injuries – affecting his elbow, ankle, knee, wrist, back, hip and abdomen – he dealt with throughout.