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Years before he earned his crown as King of Clay, the young Rafael Nadal was driven by an ultimate aim.

"My ambition? Well I guess it would be to go as far as I can, to become a great tennis player," a baby-faced 16-year-old Nadal says in this video interview from the Olympic Channel's Before They Were Superstars.

Watch: Crazy Changeover Moments

Before Nadal earned his reputation as tennis' ultimate fighter, he was, in many ways, a typical athletic Spanish teenager who loved soccer, fishing, movies, hanging out with friends and playing video games.

Toni Nadal, Rafa's coach and uncle who famously sometimes required his nephew to play on poor courts to teach him to cope with bad bounces and unruly conditions, correctly cites the future King of Clay's mental strength, fighting spirit and raw passion to play as his best weapons.

"His most important quality is his mental toughness," Uncle Toni Nadal says. "He's a real fighter. He's always been a strong competitor and he plays with a lot of heart."

This video was shot three years before a 19-year-old Nadal captured his first career Grand Slam championship at Roland Garros scoring a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Mariano Puerta in the final.

The fourth-seeded Nadal was the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to take the title in his Roland Garros debut.

"This is an incredible feeling," said Nadal, who closed his eyes and clenched his fists in triumph. "This is a dream come true."

A dream that was a lifetime in the making.


Photo credit: Olympic Channel

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