03 Monte-Carlo: Nadal vs. Costa

[Kingportable]

The Rafa you see there is proof of building block, he did not just go off and watch some pro on tv and started the hitting the ball hard... He got fitter, then he mastered these basic shots and then and only then that he mastered some more and then tried these new things out.

[telmolicious]

I dont get why it says rafa is 17 at this point when his bday is in june which is during the french... and since monte carlo is a warm up for french rafa should be 16 at this point turning 17 the same year ... so rafa is 16 at this point right? or was the schedule pushed this year??

[PatagonianWarrior]

Nadal:

Carrer Price Money 38.277 Dollar...

xP

[twisted2424]

Well, this Nadal proved to be a one win wonder... Poor guy, I bet he's watching the top guys like Federer and Rafa with envy nowadays.

[ladyborja]

Ay diosito!! qué emoción de ver los inicios del REY de la tierra batida, en su rostro y actitud sé dislumbra la semilla del Campeón qué es.La cara del actual capitán de CD Albert Costa, es todo un poema.Gracias @mirsasha por hacernos felices con este video

[3DGNumberOneFan]

What a fluke win, he accomplished nothing after this.

[sistemagio]

Vamos RAFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[3DGNumberOneFan]

He was actually 16 here.

[ikkenienwel]

impressive by nadal at that time to win

16 years old and allready that big forehand

he always was the king of clay... long before RG2005

[sirch6669]

omg nadal looks like a ten years old

[pablotjob]

why didn't rafa play RG that year? he didn't play it in 2004; but he plays wimbledon and US Open in 2003....(3rd round in both of them)

[cj397]

@dud321xyz i said he's the best clay courter the game has ever seen. where is the hate there?

he is a clay courter and always will be. and yes a few people have actually won 3 slams in a year..

[gorizianopiratissimo]

@cj397 a clay courter who´s won Wimbledon TWICE... so far

[cj397]

@gorizianopiratissimo Yep, cause wimbledon is now green clay. you can not play real tennis on any court anymore they're so fucking slow. even the few parks around me locally their courts have been redone in the last year and a half and they're slow as fuck now

[fierte]

@cj397 then don't include Roger Federer for grass dominance. it has been stated again and again that the grass was changed in 2001 and that is around when Federer started winning. Only Pete Sampras was the true master of Wimbledon. the real Wimbledon. as for Nadal being a clay courter for ever, from what I know, a clay courter is a term used only for those who win only on clay and almost nothing else. 4 out of his 9 grand slams are other surfaces. so time to drop the term.

[raostanosii]

17 years old but so tough already...hope new comers like him appears...

[HautsduPilat]

Very good video. But I'm French, and at 0:15, the commentator says :" it's the very young Rafael Nadal, of Spain, sixteen years old".

[fierte]

you know what amazes me the most? his acumen. and also his ability to read his opponents so quickly. it appears that he has been having this talent since young. its like he almost always takes his opponent apart piece by piece for all to see. its amazing and terrible at the same time.

[przemas69]

PRIZE MONEY: $38,277...

this is just unimaginable where this young man is right now :)

[Morlich209]

rafa had roger hair here!!

[ShazynShax]

He was 16 at that tournament, heard the commentator say in french sixteen

[Morlich209]

little rafa has roger hair!!

[matiperfidy]

simplemente wowwww

[cholyi]

costa had wierd grunts at 6:42

[Mondibaby]

so cute ... he wasn't even fully grown and physically developed back then ... 

[mireille876]

That's just amazing. Classic Rafa. Even then.

Vamos!

[chachris08]

wow nadal turned pro at 15? that is young.

[ebar86]

17 year old nadal was already better than reigning chmp of FO

cant imagine how superior nadal is,today!

[leon32]

Where has the dropshot gone in his game today?

[Kobe24Pauer]

He's the best ever. Forget Roger and Sampras.

[cj397]

@Kobe24Pauer LOLOL okay.

he's the best clay courter the game will ever see. nowhere near the level of roger or sampras and their dominance.

[eltxarlie2]

Video Date : 17 April 2003

Nadal Born : 3 June 1986

Then Nadal was 16 years 10 months 14 days.

[esquibelle]

He was just 17, you know what I mean?

This was before he had his water bottle fetish.

Congrats, career slam campeon. You are too awesome for words.

[stealthpakfa]

poor costa who was the defending french open champion, never had a chance.

little did he know that he was facing the future greatest clay court player of all time and one of the greatest players of all time overall.

[0BabeeyCakees0]

he's so hot. then and now!

[MaratSafinVideos]

Costa was a shadow of his 2002 RG form here, his RG run to the semis that year was extraordinary, struggling in every single match before tiring vs. Ferrero.

This was the first tournament I seen Nadal in and I thought he was really exciting, really don't like him now but this was a fun tournament to follow.

[theatlantean2]

Man, what a FREAK!

[guineveredawn]

oh my, it's wonderful to find old videos of the champ like this. Wonderful to see that after seven years, he'd totally fulfilled the potential the commentators were talking about.

[toaderclaudiu]

what a face...hahahha..comic..GO RAFA

[pablotjob]

la iirupcion de rafa fue igual a la de agassi; nadal con 16 años ya le plantaba cara a un gran jugador como costa (hasta es emomento vigente campeon en Roland Garros); agassi ya era top 10 a los 17 años; con 18 ya habia sido semifinalista del US Open y pasado la barrera del millon de dolares en premios....en cambio roger federer exploto recien a los 22 años....

[yoagain1]

Sorry, he turned 17 two months later, in June. This match was Montecarlo, in April.

[yoagain1]

He was 16 years old. Turned 17 in June, a month later.

[esquibelle]

Rafael shows his skills at 17. Oh, yeah. He'd only made $38,000 @this point lol

[alemelamed]

So cute!!!!!!

[Priam231]

7 years later he'd lost 1 match in total. Amazing

[portugalfan10]

@Priam231 what do you mean with 1 match??on clay??

lost with federer in hamburg and madrid

with ferrero in rome

with soderling in roland garros

at least 4 defeats

[Priam231]

@portugalfan10

He only has 1 loss in Monte Carlo (the round after this).

[MLArgentina]

It's amazing ... just a few years before this Rafa was the Davis Cup's flagbearer in the final standing shyly next Alex C and Albert Costa.

Rafa is just adorable

[reefric]

rafa´s defensive skills and athleticism were already outstanding..

[salaheddine10]

Is That Albert Costa ? The Captain of spain Team in Davis Cup ?

[mirsasha]

Yes, it is.

[AndyRoddick70]

@salaheddine10 Yes it is

[rasalo1985]

@salaheddine10 yes man

[co6mo]

AMAZING VIDEO!!!

i was searching it! it was Rafa first time in the world tour... he was only 75kg at that time...

[Jownac]

Nadal was actually only 16 in this match. Just makes it more impressive.

[sagrocket]

def the king of clay,HANDS DOWN

[kakatu80]

They speak to each other in catalan

[DarkDisaster45]

Hes not wearing long shorts.

[maidomin]

wow amazing video. it's funny to hear the comentators talk about him this way

[Detherless]

17? Damn, 6 years ago? Damn!!!!!

[meriko100]

OH MY GODDNESS

how sweet is he?!

[ReikoTube]

Those good old days - priceless. Thanks so much!

[wophy]

Thanks so much for loading this.