Rafael Nadal

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal has won a record nine French Open singles titles and is one of only two men to win all four majors and Olympic gold.

Born in Spain in 1986, Rafael Nadal began playing tennis at age 3 and turned pro at 15. Known for his topspin-heavy shots and tenacity, he claimed the first of a record nine French Open singles titles in 2005, and competed the career Golden Slam by winning the U.S. Open in 2010. Sidelined by a knee injury in 2012, Nadal rebounded to win two more major championships in 2013.

Rafael Nadal was born in Mallorca, Spain, on June 3, 1986. When he was 3 years old, his uncle, Toni Nadal, a former professional tennis player, started working with him, seeing an aptitude for the sport in young Rafael.

At the age of 8, Nadal won an under-12 regional tennis championship, giving Uncle Toni the incentive to step up his training. Toni noticed at the time that Rafael played his forehand shots with two hands, so he encouraged him to play left-handed, thinking it could give Rafael an edge on the court.

When Nadal was just 12 years old, he won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group. He turned professional at age 15.

By the time he was eight-years-old, Nadal had won an under-12 regional tennis championship even though he was also a promising football player at the same time. After this win, his uncle intensified Nadal's training and encouraged him to play left-handed to give him an advantage on the court.

When Nadal was 12 years he won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group before turning professional at the age of 15 in 2002. He participated in two events on the ITF junior circuit and reached the semi-finals of the Boy's Singles tournament at Wimbledon in the first of these at the age of 16.

By the age of 17, Nadal had become the youngest man to reach the third round at Wimbledon since Boris Becker. He continued playing tennis and his first big win came in 2005 when he was aged 19 years. Nadal won the French Open - the first time he took part in the Grand Slam - and his world ranking rocketed to number three. He won 11 singles titles that year, with eight of these wins taking place on clay. For this, Nadal was dubbed the 'King of Clay'.

Nadal went on to win the French Open in 2006 despite having both foot and shoulder injuries. He went on to win four other titles that year. In 2007, Nadal won the French Grand Slam again and took home another five titles.

He enjoyed one of his best years in 2008 winning the French Open for the third time and playing his long-standing rival Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final for the third consecutive year. This was the most anticipated match of their rivalry as Nadal entered the game with a 23-match winning streak, while Federer had reached the final without losing a single set.

They played the longest in terms of time on court Wimbledon final in history. Because of a rain delay, Nadal won the fifth set 9-7 in near darkness. This match is widely regarded as the greatest Wimbledon final in history, with some even claiming this was the best in tennis history.

Nadal took home his first Wimbledon title and became the third man in the open era to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. He also became the second Spaniard to win the British tennis tournament. It also ended Federer's record streak of five Wimbledon wins in a row.

Later that year, he won his second Rogers Cup title and won the US Open Series, making him the tennis world number one for the first time. This ended Federer's four-and-a-half year rule at the top. Nadal then went on to win gold at the Beijing Olympics and became the first male player ranked in the top five to do so.

However, in the last few months of the year Nadal had to retire from several matches due to a knee injury. Since then, he has been occasionally hampered by injuries but has still remained one of the greatest tennis players in the world.

He has won 15 titles since 2008 and in 2009, Nadal won the Australian Open and defended his Wimbledon title. He also went on to win his first US Open and fifth French Grand Slam in 2010.

The following year, he lost his world number one ranking as well as Wimbledon to Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic. Nadal bounced back from defeat in June this year to beat Djokovic to win his record seventh French Open title, which has never been accomplished before.

At 2012's Wimbledon, Nadal lost to Czech player Lukas Rosol in the Wimbledon second round, which some commentators have labelled one of the biggest upsets in tennis history. Nadal is only the second male tennis player to complete the Career Golden Slam, which means winning the French, Australian and US Opens, Wimbledon and the Olympics gold medal. He is currently ranked number one in the world, due to an impressive comeback in 2013.

In terms of his personal life, he has been dating Maria Francisca Perello, an insurance company employee, since 2005. He also released his autobiography Rafa in August 2011.

Despite enduring shoulder and foot injuries, Nadal won his second straight French Open and added four more titles in 2006. The following year, he won again at Roland Garros and took home five other titles. Nadal poured it on in 2008, winning the French Open again, in addition to winning Wimbledon—where he beat rival Roger Federer in the longest final in Wimbledon history—as well as gold at the Beijing Olympics. After Wimbledon, Nadal's winning streak stood at a career-best 32 matches.

With his powerful topspin-heavy shots, speed and mental toughness, Nadal reigned as one of the "Big Four" of men's tennis (along with Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray) for the next several years. He took over as the world's No. 1 in 2008, and won his first Australian Open in 2009. In 2010, he was triumphant at the French Open and Wimbledon, and his subsequent win at the U.S. Open made him just the second men's player to achieve the career Golden Slam—victories at all four majors, as well as Olympic gold.

The following year, Nadal led the Spanish Davis Cup team to victory for the fourth time, but he surrendered his No. 1 ranking after losing to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. He gained some revenge by defeating the Serbian star at Roland Garros the following spring to claim a record seventh French Open singles crown. However, Nadal followed with a surprising second-round loss to Czech player Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon, a match some commentators labeled one the biggest upsets in tennis history. Afterward, Nadal announced he was withdrawing from the 2012 Summer Olympics due to knee tendinitis, an injury that knocked him out of action for several months.

In June 2013, Nadal won his eighth French Open title by defeating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in straight sets. "I never like to compare years, but it's true that this year means something very special for me," Nadal said after the match, in an interview with ESPN. "Five months ago nobody of my team dreamed about one comeback like this because we thought that [was] going to be impossible. But here we are today, and that's really fantastic and incredible."

Later that month at Wimbledon, Nadal lost in straight sets in the first round to Belgium's Steve Darcis. It was a shock to tennis fans who expected a strong performance from the Spanish player, leading to speculation about the state of his health and overall game. But Nadal was back on the upswing by the U.S. Open, where he defeated Djokovic to win his second championship at the tournament. The win helped propel Nadal back to the top spot in the world that October.

In June 2014, Nadal won his ninth French Open championship by topping Djokovic in four sets. It was his 14th Grand Slam title, tying him with Pete Sampras for second all-time behind the 17 won by Federer. However, he withdrew from the 2014 U.S. Open in August, citing a wrist injury, and played a limited schedule for the remainder of the year.

Nadal advanced through the field at the 2015 Australian Open, but his physical capabilities appeared compromised when he fell to hard-hitting Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. He then suffered a stunning quarterfinal loss to Djokovic at the French Open, his first defeat at the tournament since 2009 and just the second overall of his career.

After winning the 2015 MercedesCup in Germany, Nadal stumbled in a second-round loss to Dustin Brown at Wimbledon. He then fell to Fabio Fognini in the third round of the U.S. Open, snapping his streak of 10 consecutive years with at least one Grand Slam title.

At the age of 19, in 2005, Nadal won the French Open the first time he competed in the tournament, and his world ranking shot to No. 3. Nadal won 11 singles titles that year, eight of which were on clay, and he was soon dubbed the "King of Clay."

Novak Djokovic

Serbian professional tennis player Novak Djokovic won his first of multiple Grand Slam championships in 2008 and took over the world's No. 1 ranking in 2011.

Born in Serbia in 1987, Novak Djokovic began playing tennis at age 4, and was sent to train in Germany at age 13. After a steady ascent to the top levels of the sport, he won the Australian Open in 2008 and led the Serbian national team to its first Davis Cup win in 2010. In 2011, he claimed three of four Grand Slams and compiled a 43-match winning streak en route to the world's No. 1 ranking.

Novak Djokovic was born on May 22, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia. Father Srdjan and mother Dijana owned the company Family Sports, which had three restaurants and a tennis academy. Djokovic's father, uncle and aunt were all professional skiers, and his father also excelled at soccer, but Djokovic was a tennis prodigy.

He is considered the best male tennis player to ever come out of Serbia, the former Yugoslavia and the Balkans. Djokovic is also a double winner of The Best Sportsperson of Serbia award and the award for The Best Sportsman by the Olympic Committee of Serbia. He has been awarded the Order of St. Sava, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Djokovic is a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia.

In the summer of 1993, at 6 years old, Djokovic was spotted by Yugoslavian tennis legend Jelena Gencic at his parents' sports complex. Gencic then worked with Djokovic for the next six years. During this time, the war in former Yugoslavia and the bombing of Belgrade meant that, for almost three months, Djokovic and his family would spend a few hours in the middle of each night in the basement. Djokovic has said that the hardships of war drove him to pursue tennis with even greater determination. At 13, he was sent to the Pilic Academy in Munich, Germany, to pursue higher levels of competition. In 2001, at age 14, he began his international career.

The 14-year-old Djokovic ended 2001 as a triple European champion in singles, doubles and team competition. He won the silver medal at the World Junior Championship in a team competition for Yugoslavia. At 16, after winning five ITF tournaments, he was ranked the 40th best junior tennis player in the world. In 2004, he won his first ATP Challenger tournament in Budapest, where he started as a qualifier. The following year, he qualified at Wimbledon and reached the third round, moving him up the rankings and into the Top 100.

In the 2007 season, Djokovic played the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon. He won his second Masters title in Montreal, beating the Top 3 players—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick—which made him No. 3 in the world. He competed for Serbia in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and won a bronze medal in singles tennis. In 2010, the Serbian national team clinched the Davis Cup trophy for Serbia for the first time in history. Djokovic went on to win 43 matches in a row in 2011, the only player in the world to achieve such a run. That same year, he won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open to become the world's No. 1 tennis player.

In 2012, Djokovic won the Australian Open singles title, and made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon. He was beaten in the semifinals, however, by longtime rival Roger Federer—who went on to win the Wimbledon final against Andy Murray. Later that year, Djokovic faced off against Murray himself in the final at the U.S. Open. He fought hard against Murray, but he ended up losing the match after five sets.

For the third year in a row, Djokovic took home the men's singles title at the Australian Open in 2013. He was the runner-up at Wimbledon that year, losing in the final to Andy Murray. At the U.S. Open, Djokovic was the top-ranked player. He easily dispatched his opponents in the first three rounds of play, but he lost in the final to Rafael Nadal.

In 2014, Djokovic claimed his second Wimbledon title in an epic five-set win over seven-time champion Roger Federer. It was his seventh Grand Slam title. At the 2014 U.S. Open, Djokovic defeated Andy Murray to reach the semifinals for the eighth time. He was subsequently defeated in the semifinals by Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who became the first player from that country to make it to the Grand Slam final.

Djokovic kicked off 2015 by winning the Australian Open over Andy Murray after a heated battle on the blue court. It was his fifth Australian Open title and the eighth Grand Slam title of his career. He then knocked off nine-time champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of the French Open, but fell short in his bid to claim his first French crown with a loss to Stan Wawrinka in the final.

Djokovic was back in the thick of things at Wimbledon in July 2015, defeating Richard Gasquet in the semifinals before upending Federer to win his third singles title on the famed grass courts.

Djokovic speaks Serbian, Italian, German and English. His two younger brothers, Marko (born in 1991) and Djordje (born in 1995), are both in school and play tennis. Djokovic's lighthearted personality has earned him the nickname "Djoker," a combination of his surname and the word "joker." He is known for his humorous off-court impersonations of fellow tennis players.

Djokovic took up tennis at age four and quickly ascended the junior ranks. Despite the hardships that came with growing up in the war-torn Serbia of the 1990s, he became Europe’s top-ranked 14-and-under player and later the number one 16-and-under player on the continent before turning professional in 2003. Djokovic entered the top 100 of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) at age 18, and in July 2006 he won his first ATP event. After advancing to the semifinals at both the 2007 French Open and Wimbledon, he reached the finals of that year’s U.S. Open but lost in straight sets to Roger Federer. Djokovic’s hot play continued into 2008 as he won the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open, becoming the first Serbian man to win one of tennis’s four most prestigious singles championships.

Djokovic’s progress plateaued for almost three years, as he won just 10 ATP men’s singles tournaments and reached only one Grand Slam final (the 2010 U.S. Open) between February 2008 and the end of 2010. His fortunes turned in December 2010 when he led the Serbian Davis Cup team to the country’s first Davis Cup title. His Davis Cup victories marked the beginning of a 43-match winning steak—the third longest such streak in the Open era (since 1968)—which included a second Australian Open title in January 2011. Djokovic’s remarkable streak ended with a French Open semifinal loss to Federer, but his strong play helped him rise to the number one world ranking shortly after he defeated Rafael Nadal to capture the 2011 Wimbledon championship. Djokovic later defeated Nadal in the U.S. Open final to claim his third Grand Slam title of the year.

At the Australian Open in 2012, he again bested Nadal, winning a five-set thriller that lasted nearly six hours. The two met for the fourth consecutive Grand Slam final at the 2012 French Open, where Djokovic lost to Nadal in four sets. In 2013 Djokovic defeated Andy Murray to win his fourth Australian Open title, and he captured another Wimbledon championship the following year when he beat Federer in a dramatic five-set final. He again beat Murray to capture his fifth career Australian Open in 2015, which made Djokovic the all-time leader in Australian Open men’s singles championships during the Open era. After a loss in the 2015 French Open final, the top-ranked Djokovic bested Federer to win his third Wimbledon championship.

Djokovic is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Christian church, and in April 2011, he was awarded the Order of St. Sava, 1st class, the highest decoration given, "for his demonstrated love for the church and the Serbian people." He participates in the Champions for Peace club, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.

He created the Novak Djokovic Foundation to help disadvantaged children in Serbia obtain an education and provide resources to lead productive and healthy lives.

Djokovic began dating Jelena Ristic in 2005. The couple became engaged in 2013 and wed on July 10, 2014 – just days after his Wimbledon win. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Stefan, on October 21, 2014.

Caroline Wozniacki

Women's tennis star Caroline Wozniacki became the first Danish player to claim the top spot in the world rankings.

rofessional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki was born on July 11, 1990, in Odense, Denmark. Named the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2008, she advanced to her first major final at the 2009 U.S. Open. In 2010, she became the first Danish player to ascend to the top spot in the world rankings, and the fourth-youngest woman to finish the year ranked No. 1.

Caroline Wozniacki was born on July 11, 1990 in Denmark. Her athletic career was almost imminent, as she was born into a family of stellar athletes. Her father played professional soccer for Poland and Denmark, and her mother played volleyball for the Polish national team. Along with natural athletic ability and passion for the sport of tennis, Caroline has a calm, cheerful disposition, which quickly helped shape her reputation on the pro tour.

Caroline started playing tennis at age 7, and by the time she was 9, she was beating her parents and older brother. In 2005 at the young age of 15, Caroline turned pro and began her career on the WTA tour. In 2006, while still 15, Caroline made the junior singles final at the Australian Open, the junior doubles final at Roland Garros and later won the junior singles title at Wimbledon. She also won her first pro tournament, an ITF event, and made the quarterfinals at two other WTA events.

Professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki was born on July 11, 1990, in Odense, Denmark. The daughter of two former professional athletes from Poland – dad Piotr was a soccer player and mom Anna a volleyball player – Wozniacki began playing tennis at age 7. Coached by her father, she counted tennis stars Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf among her inspirations.

When Wozniacki was 14, in 2004, she won the Osaka Mayor's Cup singles title. She went on to win other prestigious junior events, including the 2005 Orange Bowl and the 2006 Wimbledon girls' singles title. Working her way onto the pro circuit, she was named the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Newcomer of the Year in 2008.

At the 2009 U.S. Open, Wozniacki made it to the women's singles final, before losing to Kim Clijsters. That November, she reached the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Championships, beating both Vera Zvonareva and Victoria Azarenka.

Shortly after advancing to the semifinals of the 2010 U.S. Open, Wozniacki became the first Danish player, man or woman, to ascend to the top of the world rankings. She was the fourth-youngest woman, after Hingis, Graf and Monica Seles, to finish the year ranked No. 1.

In 2011, Wozniacki advanced to the semifinals of the Australian Open and the U.S. Open. She struggled to reach the later rounds of major tournaments in subsequent years, but in 2014 she rebounded by playing her way into the final of the U.S. Open.



Wozniacki lives in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Her older brother, Patrik, is a professional soccer player.

Wozniacki was romantically linked to Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, until they announced the end of their engagement in May 2014. That autumn, she ran the New York City marathon.

caroline played her first full season on tour in 2007, cracking the Top 100 for the first time and finishing the year ranked #64. In 2008, she won the first three tour titles of her career, made the fourth rounds of the Australian and U.S. Opens, and finished the season with a #12 ranking. She added three more titles to her name in 2009, made the fourth round of Wimbledon in addition to the final of the U.S. Open, and ended the year ranked #4. Before Wozniacki, no Danish player—male or female—had ever cracked the top 30 rankings. Going into the 2010 season, Caroline’s game was red hot and she was able to notch another 6 WTA titles and finished the year in the #1 ranking, later keeping the that top spot for 67 straight weeks. In 2011, Wozniacki won another six WTA titles and recorded a WTA-leading 63 match wins. Caroline also added two more WTA titles to her resume during the 2012 season (Korea Open, Kremlin Cup), one title in 2013 in Luxembourg, and Istanbul in 2014.

At only the young age of 24, Caroline has accomplished what many athletes only dream of, winning a stellar 22 WTA tour titles and holding the #1 ranking spot for two consecutive seasons (2010, 2011). With exceptional tour experience behind her, Caroline is back in the top five and hopes to continue to stay at the top of the WTA rankings for many seasons to come.

Caroline Wozniacki seems to have all the right genes for a tennis star. Her father played professional soccer for Poland and Denmark, and her mother played volleyball for the Polish national team. Along with strong legs, good hands, and a great feel for spinning and placing a ball, Caroline has a calm, cheerful disposition, which can be as essential an asset as anything physical.

Caroline started playing tennis at age 7, and by the time she was 9, she was beating her parents and older brother.

Just after turning 15, in 2005, Wozniacki turned pro, but she only played two events and didn't have any main-draw wins. In 2006, while still 15, Caroline made the junior singles final at the Australian Open and the junior doubles final at Roland Garros, and she won the junior singles title at Wimbledon. She also won her first pro tournament, an ITF event, and made the quarterfinals at two WTA events.

2007 was the first year Caroline played a full pro schedule. She won two more ITF singles titles, made her first semifinal at a WTA event, and made the second rounds at Wimbledon and the US Open, thus working her way up to #88 in the world.

Wozniacki had a great 2008, winning three WTA singles titles and becoming the first Danish woman ever to win a WTA singles title. She made the fourth rounds at the Australian Open and the US Open and the third rounds at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Caroline finished 2008 ranked #12, and the WTA awarded her 2008 Newcomer of the Year.

Caroline's rocket still had plenty of fuel in 2009, as she won three more WTA titles, made four other WTA finals, and made the final at the US Open, becoming the first Dane in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final.

Wozniacki also made the third or fourth rounds at the other three Slams and had a total of 67 main-draw wins for the season, the most on the Tour. Caroline finished 2009 ranked #4.