The Warrior

An intimate biography of tennis's living legend Rafael Nadal.

Tennis is not short on history. When Nadal arrived on the scene in 2005, the record for men's singles titles at the French Open stood at six, held by Bjorn Borg. Almost twenty years later, Nadal has more than doubled Borg's total with a mind-boggling fourteen titles. His record will undoubtedly remain his signature achievement—the stat that will define him in memory twenty, fifty, even a hundred years from now. Fourteen certainly looks like the only major tennis record that will never be broken even if Nadal, a modest champion despite his flashy resume, rejects that kind of definitive thinking.

Nadal has won big and won often on any of tennis's surfaces, securing two Wimbledon titles on grass and four U.S. Opens on acrylic hardcourts. But clay, the slowest and grittiest of the game's playgrounds, is where it all comes together best for his explosive movement and warrior mindset. Clay is the canvas on which he has mastered his choreography, underlining the precision, speed, and raw power required to accomplish one of the most impressive sporting achievements of the 21st century—it is the essential stuff of his life and success.

Legendary sports reporter and bestselling author Christopher Clarey has interviewed Nadal and his coaches from his first French Open victory at nineteen, marking his debut as a rising star on the premier clay-court event in the world, to his most recent victory in 2022, closing out an astonishing career as one of the greatest players of all time. Brimming with behind-the-scenes insight into the story of a global sporting icon, The Warrior is a must-read account for the loyal sports fan—and anyone interested in the evolution of excellence.