From teenage star to an all-time tennis great, Rafael Nadal’s career was nothing short of remarkable and he has inspired many a tennis player along the way, including youngsters Alex Michelsen and Joao Fonseca.

Nadal won his first ATP Tour-level match at the age of 15 in 2002 and three years later he enjoyed one of the most extraordinary seasons as he won 11 titles.

The Spaniard’s 2005 campaign ranks as one of the best-ever by a teenager as he won the French Open, Monte Carlo Masters, Italian Open, Canadian Open, Madrid Open, Brasil Open, Mexican Open, Barcelona Open, Swedish Open, Stuttgart Open and China Open before he had turned 20.

It was his best year in terms of titles won during the single season with his next the 10 he won in 2013.

Nadal, of course, went on to win a staggering 92 ATP singles titles – which puts him fifth on the all-time list for most trophies won on the Tour – while he had a 1080–228 (82.6%) win-loss record by the time he called it a day in 2024.

Now that the dust has settled around his retirement, it was “back to work” for Nadal as he was a guest at the Next Generation ATP Finals in Jeddah and naturally Michelsen and Fonseca were delighted to meet the legend.

“I have had a poster in my room since he won his eighth French, so it is really cool and I am pleased I have the chance to talk to him,” Michelsen told ATPTour.com.

The 20-year-old – who has three ATP runners-up trophies to his name – added: “To win 11 titles at 19 is absolutely ridiculous. I almost got one but to get 11 is absolutely absurd! That is why he is one of the best players to ever walk onto a tennis court.”

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Who is Joao Fonseca, the 17-year-old starlet backed for big things by Novak Djokovic?

Fonseca met Nadal in 2010 when he was still in nappies along with his mother with a picture of the trio doing the rounds on social media. Fourteen years later and the trio have recreated that image.

Even though the 18-year-old is a Roger Federer fan, he “also loves Rafa”.

“Rafa is a legend,” the Brazilian said. “I’m a Roger fan, but I also love Rafa. My coach is a Rafa fan. My phone unlock screen is Rafa with a sentence. It has been a pleasure to meet him. Eleven titles in a season is just insane. I will try to do the same.”