Court Conquistador

By Sean Gregory

Trailing 4-5 in the fourth set of this year's French Open final, Rafael Nadal, the swashbuckling Spanish teenager, was caught back on his heels, stranded a good 10 ft. behind the baseline. Sensing Nadal's predicament, his opponent, Mariano Puerta of Argentina, finessed a pretty drop shot just over the net, a sure winner. But Nadal, locks flopping, ran in from somewhere outside Madrid to return the chip. Puerta bashed the ball straight back at Nadal's legs, but Nadal blocked back another miracle that Puerta couldn't handle. Set tied. Nadal leaped high into the air, fist pumping, letting out a joyous scream. Then he went on to win the title.

Men's tennis can get giddy once again. With his powerful ground strokes, hunky looks and seductive playfulness--not to mention the fluorescent shirts and white Capri pants--Nadal, 19, could give tennis its next real box-office star. That's a little unfair to Roger Federer, but pizzazz isn't the strong point of the stone-faced Swiss who ranks No. 1 in the world. American Andy Roddick has a laser serve and smile but often fails to pack his A game when he travels. And Australian Lleyton Hewitt is too much of a crybaby to win any popularity contest.

Nadal is already leading the tour in charisma. Says television analyst Mary Carillo, a former pro: "He has this different vibe. He goes from looking downright predatory to all of a sudden having this big goofy smile. The energy, the passion is just dripping out of him. When he's playing, it's hard to watch the other side of the court."

Besides Nadal's persistence and powerful swing--veteran commentator Barry MacKay says Nadal has the "most dangerous left-handed forehand I've ever seen"--his outfits have also held serve. "Well, I like his forehand," jokes Roddick when asked about Nadal's calf-length pants. Nike asked Nadal to wear them, and he insists they're comfortable. He has already learned how to kiss up to the sponsor: "Put that the pants make me play better," he says, smiling. "Nike will like that."

Nadal, who became the first teen to win a men's Grand Slam event since Pete Sampras took the U.S. Open in 1990, stays low-key when not crushing a ball. "A dream came true for me in Paris, but I will remain the same person," Nadal tells TIME. "It would be stupid to change." Raised on the island of Majorca, Nadal has athleticism in his blood. His uncle Miguel Angel, dubbed el Carnicero (the Butcher), was a bruising defender on Spain's national soccer team. Another uncle, Toni, taught natural righty Nadal to play tennis left-handed, a serving advantage, but his serve still needs work. "Rafa" has Toni as his coach to this day. The family turned down invitations for Nadal to train in Barcelona with other budding Euro pros, shielding him from a culture that often chews up or spoils prospects. During an interview at a tourney in Halle, Germany, last week, the champion's cell phone rings. It's Mom, asking, And when will Rafa be home?

A pro since 2001, Nadal won four straight tournaments on Europe's clay-court circuit this year to shoot from 51st to 3rd in the world rankings, behind Federer and Hewitt. On his 19th birthday, he ousted Federer, his idol, in a four setter in the semis at Roland Garros, spawning a rivalry with John McEnroe-Bjorn Borg potential. Nadal even apologized to the Swiss superstar for beating him. "He's already mentally tougher than Federer," says seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander. "That's scary."

The weakness in Nadal's tennis DNA is that Spain routinely produces great dirt ballers who have feet for the slow clay of the French--which rewards baseliners--but who can't serve and volley on the slick grass of Wimbledon or on the high-speed hard courts of the U.S. and Australian opens. Federer has dominated Wimbledon the past two years; Nadal lost to Alexander Waske, ranked 147th in the world, at the grass-court tune-up in Halle. Still, a Wimbledon win is one of Nadal's goals. "If he can get past the first week and some hot weather helps harden the surface, he has a chance," says tennis coach Brad Gilbert. "Nothing this kid does surprises me." --With reporting by Bruce Crumley/ Paris, Kristina Dell/ New York, Andrea Gerlin/ Halle and Jane Walker/ Madrid

With reporting by Bruce Crumley/ Paris, Kristina Dell/ New York, Andrea Gerlin/ Halle, Jane Walker/ Madrid