Defending champion Novak Djokovic tops the draw while new world number one Ash Barty is top seed in the women's singles.
What can the Swiss great do to win three sets against the king of clay when in their previous French Open duels he has never won two?
Top seed Rafa Nadal overwhelmed Russia's Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-0 to win his fifth Rogers Cup on Sunday in Montreal -- the first time he has retained a title outside of clay.
Nadal always looked like the most likely winner once he got his nose back in front.
Rafael Nadal, the king of clay won his 11th French Open title on Sunday.
World number one Rafa Nadal's participation in the season-ending Tour finals hung in the balance when the Spaniard pulled out of the Paris Masters with injury on Friday.
Former champion Rafael Nadal shrugged off concerns about his fitness ahead of the Australian Open and paid tribute to fellow 'Big Four' rival Andy Murray, a day after the emotional Briton revealed plans to retire.
Rafael Nadal gave Russian teenager Andrey Rublev a tennis lesson on Wednesday, racing into the semi-finals of the US Open with a ruthless 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win that cleared the path for a possible showdown with rival Roger Federer.
Rafa Nadal says his mental stability has returned after a topsy-turvy year for the former world number one.
Factbox on Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who beat Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 to win his 10th French Open title on Sunday.
The spirit was as strong as ever but Rafael Nadal's troublesome knee failed him in the end as the Spaniard quit the ATP Finals after a painful defeat by Belgium's David Goffin.
The Spaniard leads 23-15 on a head-to-head basis but the Swiss has won the last five encounters.
'We are all members of a tennis paradise that this year improbably promises to last forever -- and we owe it in no small part to the two champions' parents,' notes Rahul Jacob.
Juan Martin del Potro could be a 'nightmare opponent' for Rafael Nadal when they clash in the French Open semi-finals on Friday, according to former champion Mats Wilander.
Rafael Nadal returned to Roland Garros after his birthday celebrations and showed no signs of slowing up, railroading compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in the fourth round on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal has conceded he is not yet sure that he will be able to represent Spain at the Rio Olympics as his fitness concerns linger.
World number one Nadal made the announcement at Melbourne Park's Rod Laver Arena during the "Rally for Relief" event.
Rafael Nadal clinched a record-extending 11th Monte Carlo title as he geared up for his French Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Japan's Kei Nishikori in the final on Sunday.
Clearly Nikoloz Basilashvili had come to face Rafael Nadal with a plan but, like Mike Tyson said, everybody has a plan until they're punched in the face.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are determined and inspired by the opportunity to win their first French Open title.
Rafael Nadal continued to scythe his way through the Shanghai Masters on Thursday, reaching the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-1 thrashing of temperamental Italian Fabio Fognini.
While the year's final grand slam is just underway tennis fans have circled Sept. 8 when, if all goes to form, Nadal and Federer would meet to decide a place in the final.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have returned to tennis in blistering form this season because they were able to recharge during injury layoffs last year, former world number two Alex Corretja has said.
The untroubled advance of the heavy hitters at Wimbledon was spectacularly halted on Thursday when twice champion Rafa Nadal was bundled out by German qualifier Dustin Brown who played the match of his life.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal thrashed Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem 6-0, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters for a record 14th time on Friday.
Russian fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny made a winning start to the New Year as he routed world no. 2 Rafael Nadal 6-0, 6-1 in the final of the Chennai Open on Sunday.
It was like someone had turned up the volume and intensity to the last notch. The spectators had poured in to watch the Spanish bull-fight, and they devoured every bit of drama Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya provided.
Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez of Spain won the Olympic men's doubles tennis title on Friday, beating Romania's Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau to secure their country's third gold medal of the Rio Games.
Rafael Nadal stayed on course for a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo Masters title when the Spaniard beat David Goffin 6-3, 6-1 in the semi-finals after the Belgian was denied a key point in controversial fashion on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal has broken lots of records in his career but they do not matter to the Spaniard, who on Wednesday strolled into the French Open semi-finals after compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta quit with an injury less than an hour into the match.
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.
"It has been an amazing year. One year ago, for sure I never dreamed about being World No. 1 again at the end of the season. It's something that means a lot to me. But the season is not over."
Rafael Nadal's hopes of a 15th Grand Slam title were crushed by an inspired Roger Federer in the Australian Open final on Sunday but the rejuvenated Spaniard was already rubbing his hands together with the prospect of a 'special' season on clay.
Novak Djokovic said his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz was becoming like the one he shared with the Spaniard's compatriot, Rafa Nadal, after needing nearly four hours to outlast the 20-year-old world number one in an epic Cincinnati Open final on Sunday.
Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has entered the quarter-finals of the ATP Acapulco tournament with a comprehensive straight-sets victory over Italy's Paolo Lorenzi.
Former Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi has penned a heartfelt letter to Rafael Nadal where he has expressed his support to the Spaniard who is seeking to clinch his 10th French Open title.
World number one Rafael Nadal made light work of Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the Barcelona Open final 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday, lifting the trophy for a record-extending 11th time.
World No 3 Rafael Nadal admitted that he may not play in the upcoming Australian Open after suffering a shocking first round defeat against Germany's Michael Berrer at the Qatar Open.
The two great rivals meet at Roland Garros for the first time in eight years in Friday's tie.
IMAGES from Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Friday
