Rafael Nadal is a male tennis player.
Rafael `` Rafa '' Nadal Parera ( [ rəfəˈɛɫ nəˈðaɫ pəˈɾeɾə ] , [ rafaˈel naˈðal paˈɾeɾa ] ; born 3 June 1986 ) is a Spanish professional tennis player . He is widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player in history , and owing to his dominance and success on the surface , he has been called `` The King of Clay '' .