Nadal turned professional at age 15, and participated in two events on the ITF junior circuit.
On 29 April 2002, at 15 years and 10 months, the world No.
762 Nadal won his first ATP match, defeating Ramón Delgado, and became the ninth player in the Open Era to do so before the age of 16.

In 2001, Nadal finished the year with a Challenger series record of 1–1 in singles with no titles or finals appearances.
He did not participate in any doubles Challengers events.
At ITF Futures, Nadal's record was 7–5 in singles and 1–2 in doubles, with no titles or finals appearances.

In 2002, aged 16, Nadal reached the semifinals of the Boys' Singles tournament at Wimbledon, in his first ITF junior event.
In the same year, he helped Spain defeat the US in the final of the Junior Davis Cup in his second, and final, appearance on the ITF junior circuit.
Nadal's Challenger level record in 2002 was 4–2 in singles with no titles.
He did not participate in any doubles Challengers events.
Nadal finished the year with a Futures record of 40–9 in singles and 10–9 in doubles.
He won 6 singles tournaments at this level, including 5 on clay and 1 on hard courts.
He did not reach any doubles finals.

Nadal also entered the clay-court Mallorca Open, part of the ATP International Series, at the end of April as a wildcard, where he participated in both singles and doubles.
In singles, Nadal won his first ever ATP match, defeating Ramón Delgado in the Round of 32.
He then was defeated in the Round of 16 by Olivier Rochus.
In doubles, Nadal and his partner, Bartolomé Salvá Vidal, were defeated in the first round by David Adams and Simon Aspelin.

In 2003, Nadal won two Challenger titles and finished the year ranked No.
49.
He won the ATP Newcomer of the Year Award.
In his Wimbledon debut in 2003, he became the youngest man to reach the third round since Boris Becker in 1984.
After Wimbledon Nadal participated at Bastad, where he lost to Nicolas Lapentti in the quarterfinals, and at Stuttgart, where he lost to Fernando Gonzalez in the Round of 32.
Finally, at Umag, he lost to Carlos Moya in the semifinals.

After playing two more Challenger level events, the last Challenger tournaments of his career, Nadal finished his 2003 campaign with three first round losses in ATP events.
Nadal also competed in seven doubles tournaments in 2003, and won his first ATP title (doubles or singles) at the clay-court Croatia Open in Umag, where he partnered with Álex López Morón to defeat Todd Perry and Thomas Shimada in straight sets in the final.

2004 started with a doubles championship alongside Tommy Robredo at the Maharashtra Open.
In singles, Nadal reached the third round of the 2004 Australian Open where he lost in three sets against Australian Lleyton Hewitt.
Later that year, the 34th-ranked 17-year-old played the first of many matches against Roger Federer, then ranked No.
1, at the Miami Open, and won in straight sets, before losing to Fernando González in the fourth round.
He was one of the six players who defeated Federer that year (along with Tim Henman, Albert Costa, Gustavo Kuerten, Dominik Hrbatý, and Tomáš Berdych).
He missed most of the clay court season, including the French Open, because of a stress fracture in his left ankle.
In August, Nadal won his first ATP singles title at the Prokom Open by defeating José Acasuso in the final in two sets.

Nadal, at 18 years and six months, became the youngest player to register a singles victory in a Davis Cup final for a winning nation.
By beating No.
2 Andy Roddick, he helped Spain clinch the 2004 title over the United States in a 3–2 win.
He finished the year ranked No.
51.
Nadal turned professional at age 15, and participated in two events on the ITF junior circuit. On 29 April 2002, at 15 years and 10 months, the world No. 762 Nadal won his first ATP match, defeating Ramón Delgado, and became the ninth player in the Open Era to do so before the age of 16.
In 2001, Nadal finished the year with a Challenger series record of 1–1 in singles with no titles or finals appearances. He did not participate in any doubles Challengers events. At ITF Futures, Nadal's record was 7–5 in singles and 1–2 in doubles, with no titles or finals appearances.
In 2002, aged 16, Nadal reached the semifinals of the Boys' Singles tournament at Wimbledon, in his first ITF junior event. In the same year, he helped Spain defeat the US in the final of the Junior Davis Cup in his second, and final, appearance on the ITF junior circuit. Nadal's Challenger level record in 2002 was 4–2 in singles with no titles. He did not participate in any doubles Challengers events. Nadal finished the year with a Futures record of 40–9 in singles and 10–9 in doubles. He won 6 singles tournaments at this level, including 5 on clay and 1 on hard courts. He did not reach any doubles finals.
Nadal also entered the clay-court Mallorca Open, part of the ATP International Series, at the end of April as a wildcard, where he participated in both singles and doubles. In singles, Nadal won his first ever ATP match, defeating Ramón Delgado in the Round of 32. He then was defeated in the Round of 16 by Olivier Rochus. In doubles, Nadal and his partner, Bartolomé Salvá Vidal, were defeated in the first round by David Adams and Simon Aspelin.
In 2003, Nadal won two Challenger titles and finished the year ranked No. 49. He won the ATP Newcomer of the Year Award. In his Wimbledon debut in 2003, he became the youngest man to reach the third round since Boris Becker in 1984. After Wimbledon Nadal participated at Bastad, where he lost to Nicolas Lapentti in the quarterfinals, and at Stuttgart, where he lost to Fernando Gonzalez in the Round of 32. Finally, at Umag, he lost to Carlos Moya in the semifinals.
After playing two more Challenger level events, the last Challenger tournaments of his career, Nadal finished his 2003 campaign with three first round losses in ATP events. Nadal also competed in seven doubles tournaments in 2003, and won his first ATP title (doubles or singles) at the clay-court Croatia Open in Umag, where he partnered with Álex López Morón to defeat Todd Perry and Thomas Shimada in straight sets in the final.
2004 started with a doubles championship alongside Tommy Robredo at the Maharashtra Open. In singles, Nadal reached the third round of the 2004 Australian Open where he lost in three sets against Australian Lleyton Hewitt. Later that year, the 34th-ranked 17-year-old played the first of many matches against Roger Federer, then ranked No. 1, at the Miami Open, and won in straight sets, before losing to Fernando González in the fourth round. He was one of the six players who defeated Federer that year (along with Tim Henman, Albert Costa, Gustavo Kuerten, Dominik Hrbatý, and Tomáš Berdych). He missed most of the clay court season, including the French Open, because of a stress fracture in his left ankle. In August, Nadal won his first ATP singles title at the Prokom Open by defeating José Acasuso in the final in two sets.
Nadal, at 18 years and six months, became the youngest player to register a singles victory in a Davis Cup final for a winning nation. By beating No. 2 Andy Roddick, he helped Spain clinch the 2004 title over the United States in a 3–2 win. He finished the year ranked No. 51.
Rafael Nadal