Nadal enters his title defence after a stellar season on his favourite surface.
World number three Stanislas Wawrinka stormed back from a set down to beat German qualifier Mischa Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and retain the men's title in Geneva on Saturday.
Masks were required and high-fives banned, with signs reminding those in attendance to maintain proper social distancing.
Images from Day 7 of the 2019 French Open in Paris on Saturday.
Serena Williams overcame a gritty challenge from unseeded Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens, winning 7-6(7), 6-4, to reach the French Open final, in Paris, on Friday. She will meet Garbine Muguruza, who reached her second Grand Slam final when she beat Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-4 in the first semi-final at Roland Garros.
Images from Day 4 of the 2021 US Open in New York on Thursday.
The claycourt Grand Slam at Roland Garros would now take place from Sept. 20-Oct. 4, dates that clash with several other events. With players already counting the cost of the tennis shutdown, the decision did not go down well.
Images from Day 2 of the French Open in Paris on Monday.
Roger Federer's struggles continued when he was beaten 7-6 (2), 6-4 by fast-rising Austrian Dominic Thiem in the third round of the Italian Open in Rome, on Thursday.
The Scottish broadcaster said Murray was self-isolating and still had hopes of competing in the Australian Open next month.
Sam Stosur powered into the French Open quarter-finals with a 7-6(0), 6-3 win against Simona Halep in Paris on Tuesday, adapting better to damp and heavy conditions than her higher-ranked Romanian opponent.
Maria Sharapova's fellow players described her as inspirational and praised her fighting spirit following the Russian's announcement of her retirement from tennis at the age of 32 on Wednesday. The injury-plagued Sharapova, renowned for her never-say-die approach to the sport despite regularly being hampered by shoulder problems, won five Grand Slam titles.
French Open runner-up Simona Halep was awarded a wildcard entry to feature at the Aegon International in Eastbourne next week, organisers said on Thursday.
Play on Court Philippe Chatrier will have a familiar feel on Thursday with Rafa Nadal and Justine Henin, holders of eight French Open singles crowns, bidding to move into the third round.
For all their success together, the red dirt isn't Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis' most favourite surface.
Following is a selection of tweets after Rafael Nadal won his ninth title at the French Open on Sunday with victory over Novak Djokovic.
A look at the form and previous records of Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko and Romanian Simona Halep ahead of the French Open final on Saturday
Indo-Chinese pair were beaten 6-4, 6-4 by second seeds Martina Hingis and Yung-Jan Chan on Friday.
Serena Williams was unseeded at the French Open last month due to an extended absence for the birth of her first child but she is not likely to face the same problem at the US Open.
IMAGES from the French Open matches played on Thursday
The Serbian had to save two set points in the first set before finding his groove to reach his 10th title clash in Rome and remain on course to win his 36th ATP Masters 1000 crown and overtake Rafael Nadal on the all-time list.
'Last year I was one point away to the final. I felt competitive last couple of years, so why do I need to change that?'
Yannick Noah is looking to restore old-fashioned values to the French Davis Cup team as he embarks on his third stint as captain.
It was only his second defeat in 11 years and 72 matches at Roland Garros, yet it came as little surprise for Rafael Nadal as the nine-time champion admitted he had his French Open quarter-final defeat to Novak Djokovic coming.
Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych bulldozed his way into the second round of the French Open by thrashing Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 7-5, 6-3 on Monday.
Twice champion Petra Kvitova is set to play at Wimbledon this summer, less than seven months after she was stabbed by an intruder in her home, a member of her support team told Reuters on Tuesday.
The split means Djokovic is now left with his part-time coach and former world number eight Radek Stepanek.
Dominic Thiem fell in straight sets to Rafael Nadal in the 2018 French Open final but took the 12-time Roland Garros champion to four sets last June. On Sunday, the Austrian appeared to be heading towards a four-set victory before Djokovic mounted a spectacular comeback to deny him again.
World number one Rafael Nadal begins his French Open title defence, on Monday, with a clash against Italy's Simone Bolelli on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
An All-Asian tie that catches the eye is rarer than a bottle of Australian wine at Roland Garros but Kei Nishikori's clash with Chung Hyeon in the third round of the French Open could be one to savour.
The signs that things were going horribly wrong for Roger Federer were laid bare at Roland Garros.
Nadal has turned back the clock to sweep through the European claycourt season with titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid and is a daunting obstacle for anyone with genuine title ambitions.
Spain's Garbine Muguruza beat Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 to win the French Open on Saturday and claim her first Grand Sam title. Take a look at the career of the 22-year-old.
World number three Roger Federer is playing his first tournament on clay for three years as he prepares for the French Open.
Underarm serve could be an effective weapon in halting Rafael Nadal's annual rampage on clay most just chuckled.
Two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka crashed out of the French Open in the first round losing 5-7, 5-7 to Katerina Siniakova on Monday, playing only her fifth tournament of the year after a legal battle over the custody of her son.
Penpix of the top women's contenders at the 2017 French Open:
Images from Day 4 of the Wimbledon tennis championships played in London, on Wednesday.
IMAGES from matches on Day 9 at the French Open at Roland Garros
World number one Simona Halep has twice been left heartbroken in her quest for Grand Slam glory in Paris. Yet even now, standing just two wins away from redemption, she says she feels no pressure.
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