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By Sean Wolfington

It was another great Sony Ericsson tennis tournament in Miami with the usual suspects including Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer but this year I had the privilege to meet a new star on the scene, Fernando Verdasco. Verdasco was getting a lot of attention due to his quick rise into the top 10 and his unique style on and off the court. The stylish 25 year old has a great game but also gets a lot of attention due to his great looks and charismatic personality that seems to attract more female fans than the normal tennis star. After seeing all the excitement around this young Spanish tennis player, I was able to interview him to find out what was behind all the buzz, and i found allot.

It all started when Fernando was 1 year old and his grandfather would seat him in front of the tv and turn the tennis on so he would stop crying. Every time he watched tennis on TV a smile would come out.He loved running around the tennis court and listening to the sound of the ball when older people would play. Whenever you took him away from the court, he would start crying. When he was 2, he could already pick up a raquet and hit the ball over the net, while the rest of the kids his age were only interested in playing soccer or watching TV. Instead of watching cartoons with his friends, he would watch matches of Agassi and McEnroe.

He started taking lessons at age 4, and when he was10 years old, he went to a tennis academy near his house where they discovered he had a lot of potential. So at age 15, the Spanish federation gave him a scholarship and he moved to Barcelona where he won the Spanish championship under 16 and started to win many tournaments.

From the time he was 4 years old, Fernando had a dream to be a professional tennis player and in less than 20 years that dream became a reality and today he is the 8th ranked player in the world, the 2nd best player in Spain and one of the primary contenders for Rafa Nadal's throne as the top player in the world. A fellow Spaniard of Nadals, Verdasco showed his power under pressure during the Davis Cup where he delivered the win for Spain in the final match to make Spain the world champions.

Since the huge win at the Davis Cup, he has continued to roll on the crest of a wave that led him to the quarterfinals of Indian wells and Miami and the semi-finals of the Australian open where he faced Nadal in a record-braking 5 set match.

His historic semifinal match against Nadal at the Australian Open occured after he defeated Jo Wilfred Tsonga (#7 in the world) and Andy Murray (#4 in the world). In the end, he was only 2 points away from beating the eventual champion, Rafa Nadal, in a five set thriller which was the longest match in the history of the tournament, and Verdasco proved once again he can hang with the big boys. (view highlights of this historic match here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg1zgLWo6nI)

After the Davis Cup win and the historic match at the Australian Open, people are saying he is the biggest long term threat to Nadal's reign as the #1 rated player in the world. One thing for sure, this head-to-head match up of these two Spanish conquistadors who fight like bulls is an audience favorite that has attracted new fans to the sport. Spanish fans have a hard time picking between the low-key Nadal or the spirited Verdasco but many refuse to take sides. Alejandro Sanz, the most award winning Spanish musician in history, came out to the Miami tournament to support both of his friends along with other Spanish celebrities including Shakira, Paulina Rubio and others.

While Nadal and Verdasco have a lot in common, more people have compared Verdasco to Andre Agassi, which is no surprise since Agassi is a mentor of his. Verdasco's been working in Las Vegas with Agassi and his team including Darren Cahill (Agassi's coach) and Gil Reyes, (Agassi's fitness coach). Verdasco spent December and January with this dream team preparing for a big year. "Agassi was my idol when I was young," said Verdasco, "Now, you have your idol telling you what to do, telling you what he thinks is better for you, it helps a lot.

During Agassi's reign, he was in the top 10 for a long time because of his great conditioning and his big heart. Verdasco shares that same spirit of determination and fitness regimen which will probably keep him in the spotlight for a long time as well. Both Agassi and Verdasco are sponsored by Adidas and are big targets for sponsors because of their good looks and unforgettable personalities. "He is one of the most dynamic players in the world and he has a personality that people remember," said Ryan Wolfington, director of USTA Nevada. "Most importantly, he is a leader on and off the court. He has dedicated a lot of time to working with under privileged kids to help them use tennis to learn about life and to rise above their circumstances."

Verdasco's training with Agassi, Cahill and Gil paid off big as he quickly reached the top 10 rated players in the world. "It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with all these unbelievable people," explained Verdasco. "They helped me physically, technically, they help me a lot." Verdasco spent the entire month of December and the beginning of the year with Agassi and his team getting ready for this year. "Being away from my family during Christmas was really hard for me. I have always been with them during the holidays. Over the years I didn't play the first week of the year, because if I play these tournaments in Chennai or Adelaide, I cannot be with my family for Christmas and New Year's." Verdasco is known on the tour for being a family man. While he is not married he is devoted to his family who have traveled with him around the world from a young age.

His parents, little sisters, aunts, uncles and close friends provide a support system that has enabled him to stay grounded as his career has taken off . While many of the players were out enjoying the Miami night life Verdasco was working hard and spending free time with family. When asked whether he is eager to displace Rafa Nadal as the #1 player in the world Verdasco responded, "Rafa is an amazing player and I respect him very much. For me, I want to give 100% in every moment of every match. I just want to do things right and try to win every match every day."