Rafael Nadal is the oldest title winner in the history of the clay-court tournament.
Australian tennis great Rod Laver said that watching Nadal compete had been a privilege.
'I feel super, super lucky for all the things I have been able to experience. I want to thank the whole tennis industry, all the people who are involved in this sport.'
Roger Federer paid tribute to his retiring rival Rafael Nadal on Tuesday, telling the Spaniard he challenged him like no other player.
A summary of Saturday's action in the Serie A, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga
Nadal was much more than a claycourt bully, though. He spent more than 900 successive weeks from 2005 in the ATP's top 10, 209 of them at number one and at the age of 24 became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.
A true legend of the game who paved the way and taught so many of us how to be as a player and as a person.
Watching India and Australia compete in the series-deciding fifth Test was some experience for the 54-year-old American tennis legend.
Alcaraz has not gone beyond the quarter-finals in his three previous visits to Melbourne, but that has not stopped the world number three from dreaming of glory in the Jan. 12-26 event.
Neeraj Chopra, who holds the rank of Subedar Major in the Indian Army, admits that his long hair often raises eyebrows when he dons the uniform.
A round-up of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Serie A
Small things were changed in the Indian Davis Cup set-up for the tie against Togo and it was evident that they made a difference.
Here is a quick glance of all the highs and lows from Nadal's stupendous career:
The tennis legends are set to meet at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.
Rafael Nadal said farewell to tennis and his fans saluted their retiring hero in a bittersweet and emotional ceremony at a sold-out Malaga arena
There could be no place more appropriate for Djokovic to finally break free of his tie with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles titles than in her own backyard at Melbourne Park, where he has won the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup 10 times.
The unanswerable question, of course, is whether Djokovic is the GOAT. That's a complex issue over which fans will forever bicker, observes Kanika Datta.
'My big farewell would be a joy of winning with everyone'
Novak Djokovic is ready to challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the Grand Slam stage when he returns to action at the Australian Open after an underwhelming campaign this year, the 24-times champion said.
As Rafael Nadal prepares to ride off into the sunset after a stellar career, his fellow professionals from eras old and new agree on one thing - the Spaniard remains an inspirational role model whose legacy has shaped tennis over the last 23 years.
'What a pleasure to meet Tennis legend @rafaelnadal at the Olympic Village. Wished him the best for the Games! Looking forward to following his performances at his favourite Roland Garros!'
Rafael Nadal married his childhood sweetheart Maria Francisca Perello on Saturday
India's Vijay Sundar Prashanth and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan found a way to prevail over second seeds Julian Cash and Llyod Glasspool in a tough battle in the Hangzhou Open quarterfinals while Yuki Bhambri progressed to the Chengdu Open semifinals with his partner on Saturday.
Italy's Sinner and Spain's Alcaraz have won two Grand Slams each this year, with Alcaraz beating Sinner in closely fought clashes at the French Open semi-finals and the China Open final.
Legendary Andre Agassi said Carlos Alcaraz combines the best qualities of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal but cautioned the tennis world against expecting the Spaniard to repeat the incredible feats of the 'Fab Three.'
Magnificent Martinez helps Inter defeat Sparta Prague 1-0
Jannik Sinner spearheaded Italy's charge towards a second successive Davis Cup title with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final at the southern Spanish city of Malaga on Sunday.
A stunning bicycle kick from Antonio Sanabria and a second-half header from Omar Alderete gave Paraguay a well earned 2-1 home win over Argentina.
Rafael Nadal teamed up with Carlos Alcaraz for the first time as Spain's so-called dream team opened their Olympic doubles campaign with a 7-6(4), 6-4 defeat of Argentine sixth seeds Maximo Gonzales and Andres Molteni on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal teamed up with Norwegian Casper Ruud to register a 6-1, 6-4 win over second seeds Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela on the Swedish clay.
Cameras captured heartwarming moments of Rafa Jr. cheering from the stands alongside Nadal's wife, Maria Francisca Perello.
Bhambri, Nedunchezhiyan-Prashanth reach ATP 250 doubles finals in China
Singles wins for Botic Van de Zandschulp and Tallon Griekspoor sparked a party amongst an army of orange-clad Dutch fans inside the Jose Maria Martin Carpena arena.
Sunil Gavaskar feels a subtle adjustment to his batting stance in the second innings of the Perth Test helped Virat Kohli rediscover his batting form.
Sporting marked the final home game of coach Ruben Amorim's reign in stunning fashion as Viktor Gyokeres' hat-trick saw them come from behind to thrash Manchester City 4-1 and maintain their superb start to the Champions League on Tuesday.
Rafael Nadal has decided not to participate in the US Open due to concerns about his fitness
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz tempered expectations for Spain's dream team on Wednesday as they looked ahead to playing together in the Paris Olympics.
Canada advanced to the Copa America semi-finals with a 4-3 victory over Venezuela via the tie-breaker in the quarter-finals in Arlington, Texas, on Friday after the teams were locked 1-1 at the end of extra-time.
Rafael Nadal reached his first final in two years on Saturday, beating qualifier Duje Ajdukovic
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