"I like playing on grass or indoor hard courts more than clay" - a young Rafael Nadal on his preference for court surfaces

Rafael Nadal's accomplishments are far too many to list, but given his tremendous success on clay, it would be an understatement to say he has excelled on the surface.

But in an old video, when a young Nadal was quizzed on his favorite surface to play on, he surprisingly did not mention the red dirt. The young lad, who'd go on to become the "King of Clay," said he preferred to play on grass and indoor hard courts.

"I like playing on grass or indoor hard courts more than clay. Although I also like playing on clay."

Nadal also wanted to emulate Carlos Moya, who was one of the top players when he was young. Moya became the first male player from Spain to be ranked number one and won the French Open in 1998. He currently coaches the 20-time Grand Slam champion as well. Nadal leads the head-to-head against his coach 6-2.

"Carlos Moya is a great player. I would love to be like him."

Wimbledon was also the Grand Slam that Nadal wanted to win the most as a kid, though he admitted that it is difficult to win there and a lot of hard work needs to be done first. While he would go on to be an unbelievably dominant force at Roland Garros, he has a good record at Wimbledon too.

"Wimbledon, but it's very difficult and you have to work a lot."

After finishing runner-up to Roger Federer in 2006 and 2007, the Spaniard won his first Wimbledon title after defeating the Swiss ace in a five-set epic in 2008, considered by many as one of the greatest tennis matches ever played.

It was Nadal's first Grand Slam title outside Roland Garros and following the victory he would go on to claim the number one ranking for the first time shortly after that, ending Federer's lengthy four-and-a-half-year stay at the top of the rankings.

Nadal couldn't defend his title in 2009 due to an injury, but won his second title at the grass court Major in 2010. He reached the final again in 2011, but lost to Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard went through a rough patch at the tournament for the next few years, but following a career resurgence in 2017, he has managed to reach the semifinal stage twice there.

Rafael Nadal set to play in the 2022 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal at the 2021 French Open

Rafael Nadal spent most of the 2021 season dealing with injuries, playing just seven tournaments and officially ending his season prior to the US Open.

His exact date of return wasn't known and it was stated that he wouldn't be competing in the ATP Cup to start the 2022 season. But in the latest press release by the Australian Open, his name features on the initial entry list.

The tournament is a pivotal one for Nadal and rival Djokovic as the two players seek to become the first male player in history to win 21 Grand Slam titles.

---

Also Check Out: Updated Tennis Schedule 2022