Since turning professional in 2001 as a 15-year-old, Nadal has spent 2,543 hours and 15 minutes on court in 1,307 ATP Tour matches - 1,080 of which he has been on the winning side of the net.

The first title of his career arrived in 2004 on the clay courts of Sopot, a tiny city in northern Poland, before he shot to fame the following season.

In 2005, Nadal broke into the world's top 10 - where he would stay for a record 912 consecutive weeks.

Nadal would win a further 91 ATP Tour titles, including 22 Grand Slams - 14 at the French Open, four at the US Open and two at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

The US Open was elusive for the longest time but when he conquered New York in 2010, he became the youngest man in the Open era to complete the 'career Grand Slam'.

With Olympic singles gold already in his locker from Beijing 2008, that US Open victory also wrapped up a 'career golden Grand Slam'.

It is an achievement matched by only four other players - Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic.