Pushy Papa?

Nadal's father, Sebastian, owns a successful glass manufacturing company in Majorca, and the family live in style. Sebastian has an apartment in the Manacor hills and a summer home down on the beach in the same town; the rest of Nadal's family live nearby. When Rafa was younger, Sebastian insisted he join a tennis club on Majorca rather than the mainland.

On the One Hand...

Like John McEnroe and the newly crowned Wimbledon girls' champion, Laura Robson, Nadal plays with his left hand – but unlike his fellow southpaws, he is naturally right-handed. It was Nadal's coach, Uncle Toni, who encouraged him to mix things up. "He noticed that I was playing forehand shots with two hands, so one day he told me to try with one hand," Nadal has said. "I used my left foot in football, so he thought I should try that. I did. It worked."

Star Quality

Nadal is one of the few celebrities to have an asteriod named after him. 128036 Rafaelnadal is a "main belt" asteroid discovered in 2003. As well as a line of watches, Nadal also has a computer game for the Nintendo DS named after him.

The Long & The Shorts

It sometimes appears that Nadal's trademark capri "pirate" shorts are an impediment – he can be seen retrieving the seat of his pants from his bottom before every serve. But the player insists the Nike garment is not at fault. "It's a habit I picked up when I was young," he told reporters. "I'm trying to break it, but it's not easy."

Toni's Boy

Nadal has been coached by his uncle Toni since age four, when Toni has recalled telling him: "If I ever see you throw a racket, then it is over. Rackets are expensive and there are a lot of people who cannot afford them." More recently, Toni has been reprimanded for getting too involved from the touchline.

Time!

The world's top two players are patriotic in their choice of timepieces. Federer favours a Swiss Rolex – in 2006, he signed a deal rumoured to be worth $15m to wear one during trophy presentations – while Nadal has a line of 16 watches named after him by the Madrid-based watch company Timeforce, for which he appears in cheesy Spanish TV ads.

Mixed doubles

The main lady in Nadal's life is 20-year-old Maria Francisca Perello. She was born in Manacor, Nadal's home town – but is not without competition. Earlier this year, Rafa was linked with 18-year-old tennis sensation Caroline Wozniacki – though today he and Perello are reportedly getting on fine. She is said to avoid watching him play for fear of distracting him. It's not hard to see why.

Taste of Victory

The tennis star has developed a peccadillo in recent years: biting trophies after winning a tournament. He claims that it is his "trademark". "I don't know, I just prefer that to kissing [them]," he says. Theories abound on the internet as to why he does it. Some insist that it is to test that the silverware is real, others that it comes through modesty – the equivalent of pinching himself to confirm that he is really there.

Sinking Feeling

Nadal's favourite films are Titanic and Gladiator, and he enjoys playing computer games, football, golf and fishing.

Family Affair

The young Nadal excelled at football and tennis, inspired on the pitch by his uncle, Miguel Ángel Nadal. Miguel was a formidable force in defence and midfield for RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona. He earned 62 caps for Spain between 1991 and 2002, and played in three World Cups. His spot kick in the penalty shootout of Euro '96 against England was saved by David Seaman, sending England to the semi-finals.

Sporting Obsession

Nadal's on-court tics have led some observers to wonder whether he has obsessive compulsive disorder. Like David Beckham, who reportedly spends hours straightening furniture and buys exactly 20 packets of Super Noodles on each visit to the supermarket, Nadal likes things to be just so. During changeovers he can be seen positioning his drinks bottles so that they are perfectly in line and with the labels facing the same way. He also towels off those bulging biceps with obsessive regularity.