The ravages of two decades on tour mean Rafael Nadal has rarely been able to prepare for majors like other players, forcing him to rely on skills and mental fortitude.
Debutant Stefanos Tsitsipas crushed defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday to book his place in the last four of the ATP Finals with a match to spare.
With Nadal and Federer both skipping the tournament, Djokovic's sensational exit on Sunday after hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball opened up the field for a younger cohort of players.
Yet the warrior-like instincts kicked in and we were all reminded that Nadal, as long as he is standing, remains a physical and psychological force of nature on a tennis court.
Rafael Nadal will become the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles if he defeats the Russian in Melbourne.
'Let's be confident, let's be positive and let's see what's going on'
Nadal arrived in Paris with his own doctor to get through the tournament despite the injury.
Nadal plays Berrettini in one semifinal, knowing he's potentially two match wins from a 21st major title.
Novak Djokovic cruised past Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday to reach a record-equalling eighth Western & Southern Open semi-final in New York where he will face Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Carlos Alcaraz came through a testing third round encounter against Nicolas Jarry.
He was drawn in the toughest half of the draw with Nadal as well as in-form Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz and world number three Alexander Zverev, who could clash in the last eight.
'I know earlier in the tournament I said something in kind of a bad way and now I'm saying it in a good way: That it's because of your energy that I'm in the final'
World number two Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the tournament announced on Wednesday, in the latest setback for the player due to his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Coco Gauff rallied from a break down in the final set to beat Swede Rebecca Peterson and reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals for the first time
Nick Kyrgios would rather wear all black when competing at Wimbledon instead of adhering to the all-white dress code
Even though Carlos Alcaraz recently dethroned him from the top of the world rankings, Novak Djokovic is still considered the man to beat and still has the power to turn opponents into nervous wrecks.
Medvedev squandered a two-set lead against Nadal in their previous meeting in the Melbourne final in January, allowing the Spaniard to clinch his 21st Grand Slam title.
Zverev deserved to be thrown out for umpire abuse, says Nadal
'It's such an honour to win this tournament, looking at all the names who have won it I'm very happy and proud that my name is also there now'
World number one Novak Djokovic, bidding for a record-equalling sixth title at the event, is in the Tokyo group with Russian Daniil Medvedev, Germany's Alexander Zverev and Argentine first-time Diego Schwartzman.
As he continues to live his dream, Novak Djokovic is also staking his claim to the mantle of greatest tennis player of all time.
Nadal pulled off his greatest escape to deny Daniil Medvedev again, less than three years after leaving the Russian heartbroken in five sets at the 2019 US Open final.
Top seed Novak Djokovic made quick work of Tennys Sandgren at the Western and Southern Open on Tuesday, never dropping serve en route to a 6-2, 6-4 win over the American, while big-serving Milos Raonic enjoyed a straight sets win over Andy Murray.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka's name appeared on the singles entry list for Wimbledon released by the organisers on Friday but veterans Roger Federer and the Williams sisters were not included.
Wimbledon will allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete at the grasscourt Grand Slam as 'neutrals' this year.
Dominic Thiem will take on Germany's Alexander Zverev in Sunday's US Open final.
Italian seventh seed Jannik Sinner beat Tommy Paul to set up a Canadian Open final clash with Australia's Alex De Minaur
Maria Sharapova and Andy Murray have pledged to support relief funds for children affected by the invasion.
Novak Djokovic split with his long-time coach Marian Vajda at the end of the 2021 season, ending one of tennis's most enduring and successful partnerships, the Serbian former world number one said.
Rafael Nadal confirmed he will miss this year's French Open as he is yet to recover from injury.
'On grass it's different, I feel that I can play kind of automatically, just the way I play, maybe play flatter than I play, so it's more convenient for me to play on grass.'
Stefanos Tsitsipas said he would not be surprised if Daniil Medvedev beat Novak Djokovic
Drained Medvedev pulls out of home tournament in Moscow
IMAGES from Day 6 of the 2023 US Open on Saturday.
Images from Day 5 of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Friday.
Novak Djokovic beat Norway's Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-3 to collect a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title on Sunday, earning the biggest paycheck ever in tennis - $4,740,300 - for completing the season-ending tournament unbeaten.
Daniil Medvedev fired Russia to victory in the $7.5 million ATP Cup with a dominant performance against Italy in Melbourne on Sunday.
Hubert Hurkacz showed his Wimbledon credentials on Sunday, hammering world number one Daniil Medvedev
Greece's Tsitsipas battled back from 3-5 down in the third set to eliminate Medvedev with a 6-3, 6-7(11), 7-6(1) win to set up a showdown on Friday with Rublev for the Red Group's other semi-final spot.
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