Rafael Nadal Sends Heartfelt Message to US Open Junior Trophy Winner Ivan Ivanov Rafael Nadal couldn't be prouder of his students from the academy and Ivan Ivanov is proving that he's learned from the

When it comes to making history, you have to start from the bottom. Rafael Nadal knows all about putting in the work to shine on the sport’s biggest stages. With 22 Grand Slam singles titles, the Spaniard has poured his experience into the Rafa Nadal Academy. And now, one of their own just hit a milestone.

Ivan Ivanov made waves in junior tennis with his second consecutive major title at the US Open on September 6. The 16-year-old Bulgarian rolled past countryman Alexander Vassilev in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, to claim his first slam in New York. Training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Ivanov now stands as only the second Bulgarian to win a junior Grand Slam singles title. He joins Grigor Dimitrov, who set the bar back in 2008 when he reached the US Open junior final.

The Rafa