Nadal all set for Dubai challenge

Dubai: Put Rafael Nadal on clay and he is virtually unbeatable. He can beat all-comers on hard courts too, as his victory over Roger Federer in the 2006 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships proved.

Even on grass, he is almost impregnable, with two finals in his last two appearances at Wimbledon.

And yet the Spanish wonderkid is as down-to-earth as it gets. His fame, fortune and three successive titles at Roland Garros - where he has never lost a match - have left him the same shy, polite and unassuming person he has always been.

The jigging, all-action, ultra-aggressive competitor on court is far removed from the quiet, humble young man he is when away from the crowds.

Much of this is due to his uncle and coach, Toni, who has guided Rafael since he was just four years old. The former footballer earned a coaching badge in soccer, but it is in tennis that he has excelled.

Feeling more at ease

It is Toni that persuaded his right-handed nephew to switch from his two-handed forehand and backhand to a one-handed forehand when he was 9 or 10. As the world now knows, Rafael went on to feeling more comfortable playing left-handed, although he still uses his right hand to sign autographs.

"He was always a very good pupil, because he was disciplined. I did not have to demand that," said Toni. "We have a relationship that is different to other players because I can talk about behaviour in a way that someone else could not tell him.

Before he played, I saw on television so many players who went out with a bad face. I detested that. Rafael wants to win, but he wins with good manners.

He has never thrown his racket. For me it is unbelievable how some people treat what they are given."

Sought-after destination

With less than a month to go before the start of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, almost every top player in the world is booking their flight to Dubai.

The Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, begin on February 25 with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event, followed by the ATP event from March 3-8.