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.
Russia's Daniil Medvedev defeated Benoit Paire of France 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Abierto Mexicano tournament in Acapulco on Tuesday to get his quest for the world number one ranking off to a winning start.
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.
World number one Novak Djokovic said his win over Rafa Nadal in Friday's epic French Open semi-final was one of the top three matches he had played and he would remember it forever.
The Spaniard's withdrawal means Medvedev will be top seed at the March 1-7 event, which also features top-10 players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.
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.
Rafael Nadal married his childhood sweetheart Maria Francisca Perello on Saturday
IMAGES from Day 8 of the French Open at Roland Garros on Sunday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 2022 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday.
Tournaments continue to be played in front of a handful of fans at most.
Rafael Nadal will be aiming to win a record-extending 13th French Open when the re-scheduled claycourt event starts at the end of September.
Nadal took to social media to share the exciting news
Alcaraz has been seen as fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal's successor on the Paris clay.
From Slam No 1 to Slam No 21 -- a summary of Nadal's 21 majors.
Earlier, Ukraine took a 2-0 lead over Japan as world number five Elina Svitolina took the first point of the Billie Jean King Cup era.
Images from Day 3 of the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Alexander Zverev cruised past Frenchman Lucas Pouille in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open on Sunday.
'To be part of Team Europe together is great and if we're able to possibly share the court one more time as a doubles pairing then this would be a truly special experience for us both at this stage in our careers.'
Given that Twelve Final Days doesn't really delve into the genesis of Roger Federer, the ups and downs of his career, the assumption is that it is meant for people who are already familiar with his work, observes Deepti Patwardhan.
Factbox on Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Alexander Zverev
Rafael Nadal pulled off an incredible recovery from 1-5 and match-point down to overcome Russia's Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Finals.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will clash for the Italian Open title after the top two seeds advanced to the final of the Masters tournament on Saturday.
The 33-year-old 19-time Grand Slam champion, who met his wife through his younger sister Maribel, a childhood friend of Perello, tied the knot with the 31-year-old at a castle in the island of Mallorca.
Novak Djokovic said the pursuit of Olympic gold left him without much in the tank for his US Open title defence.
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.
Spaniard Rafael Nadal will team up with perennial rival Roger Federer for the third edition of the Laver Cup in Geneva next year.
Team Europe's Nadal was scheduled to take on Team World's Nick Kyrgios in his singles clash before partnering Swiss Federer to face John Isner and Jack Sock.
Rafael Nadal won two Grand Slams this year -- the French Open and the US Open -- to move within one of Roger Federer's record of 20 titles.
'I have been serving well, starting to create damage with the forehand. Hitting serve on one shot, I think'
Djokovic did not play badly in the final but it took him 55 minutes before he registered his first game in what turned out to be a mauling.
Images from Day 13 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
Images from Day 7 of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Nadal has won his 13th French Open singles title and 20th Grand Slam tournament by beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
Heavier balls to blame for slower game: Nadal
Lucky loser Taro Daniel will replace Nadal in the second round against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Nadal committed 30 unforced errors to Schwartzman's 17 and had his serve broken five times.
No tennis for four months, no problem for Rafael Nadal.
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played on Wednesday.
Next up for the 35-year-old will be another American in 39th-ranked Tommy Paul with a potential semi-final clash against top-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev, who he defeated in the Australian Open final from a two-sets deficit.
