Rafa Nadal was acclaimed Hijo Predilecto (Favourite son) in Manacor, his birthplace, last Friday. The town’s statutes had to be changed specifically, as until now, such a distinction had only ever been awarded posthumously in Manacor. The honorary merit comes on top of a remarkable string of victories, making 2010 the most successful year to date in Rafa’s career, with seven titles, including Grand Slam wins in Paris, Wimbledon and the US Open. Nadal is currently ranked No. 1 in the ATP World Tour rankings, with a comfortable margin in points over Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

The photo shows Nadal sitting between his mother, Ana María Parera, and his father, Sebastià Nadal. The photo was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of diariodemallorca.es and the photographer, Guillem Bosch.

Muchas gracias.