Rafael Nadal birthday special: 10 interesting facts about the 'King of Clay'

Rafael Nadal. Pictures/ AFP

Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal celebrates his 35th birthday today. Nadal has been a force to reckon with in the tennis world ever since his debut and has gone on to be listed amongst the greats in the game. Nadal has numerous records and titles to his name as well.

On this day, we present to you some facts and information that might not be well known about the 13-time French Open champion.

1 - Rafael was born right-handed but his coach advised him to play with his left hand after seeing his perfect backhand moves.

2 - Though he is from Mallorca, Real Madrid is his favourite football club.

3 - He is extremely media-shy and is rarely seen with his childhood sweetheart Maria Francisca Perello.

4 - Rafael Nadal is so superstitious that he is known to not let anyone move his water bottle from where he places it at the beginning of the game.

5 - Nadal's uncle named Miguel was a footballer who played for Spain for over a decade. He also played for clubs such as Barcelona and Mallorca.

6 - Nadal's favourite movies are Gladiator and Titanic.

7 - Nadal has a liking for football, golf, fishing and PlayStation (PSP).

8 - Rafael Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello was introduced to him by his sister, Maria Isabel.

9 - Nadal is nicknamed 'The King of Clay' as he is considered to be the best tennis player on clay courts.

10 - At the age of 12, Rafael Nadal was introduced to Richard Gasquet and has known him ever since.