

The Warrior
Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay
Author: Christopher Clarey
Narrator: Timothy Andrés Pabon
Unabridged: 14 hr 21 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 05/13/2025
Synopsis
In The Warrior, Christopher Clarey, Rafael Nadal's most mind-blowing achievement: 14 French Open titles. Nadal has won big on tennis's many surfaces en route to becoming one of the greatest players of all time: securing two Wimbledon titles on grass and four U.S. Open titles on cushioned acrylic hardcourts. But clay, the slowest and grittiest of the game’s playgrounds, is where it all comes together best for his tactical skills, whipping topspin forehand and gladiatorial mindset. Clay is to Rafael Nadal what water is to Michael Phelps, which helps explain one of the most impressive individual sports achievements of the 21st century.
Clarey draws on interviews over many years with Nadal and his team and with rivals like Roger Federer. Not just a book about tennis, The Warrior draws much wider lessons from Nadal’s approach to competition.