The pair faced each other 40 times over the last two decades in one of the sport's most enduring rivalries, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 24-16.
Alexander Zverev cruised past Frenchman Lucas Pouille in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal confirmed he will miss this year's French Open as he is yet to recover from injury.
Mats Wilander said it was a 'miracle' that Nadal won two majors during the year.
'This probably hurts more than any loss I've ever had'
Sitting courtside, Rafael Nadal cried as his great rival, Roger Federer, bid an emotional farewell to tennis at the Laver Cup on Friday, later saying an important part of him was also leaving the men's Tour with the retirement of the Swiss.
Like a stern headmaster, a clearly irritated Rafael Nadal beckoned Lorenzo Sonego to the net and gave him an earful about the etiquette of tennis in front of 15,000 wide-eyed fans and a global audience of millions.
World number two Rafael Nadal will be sidelined for six to eight weeks by the hip flexor injury he suffered during his second-round loss at the Australian Open, the Spaniard's team said on Thursday.
Auger-Aliassime, now coached by Nadal's uncle and long-time mentor Toni who sat in his box, will face Fritz in his final group match with a chance of making the last four.
Rafael Nadal said on Friday that he intends to compete at Wimbledon later this month
Rafael Nadal dug deep to beat mercurial wildcard Nick Kyrgios 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-4 in a blockbuster quarter-final match that lived up to the hype at Indian Wells on Thursday.
Images from Day 7 of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
On Sunday, Rafael Nadal's extraordinary resilience was on full display as he closed out a marathon five-setter against World No 2 Daniil Medvedev.
The world number five Spaniard has won 15 straight matches since returning from a foot issue that sidelined him for nearly six months last year.
It was a case of more pain than gain for Nadal since he hoisted the Musketeers' Cup for a record 14th time in June.
'Rafael Nadal withdrew for personal reasons'
Nadal confirmed the rumours that he will be a father soon.
The 35-year-old said that the presence of his personal doctor to "do things that help" made sure he could play in Paris although he is unsure of what will come next.
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.
Novak Djokovic reclaimed the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz
Their epic rivalry includes three successive Wimbledon finals from 2006
Some of the most iconic moments of Roger Federer's glittering career featured Rafael Nadal across the net but on Friday his great Spanish rival will be alongside him for his final bow.
Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final to win his fourth Grand Slam title.
Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal resumed training on Monday after four weeks out due a stress fracture in his rib, a month out from the French Open where the Spaniard will bid for a record-extending 14th title.
Rafael Nadal called Novak Djokovic's COVID-19 vaccination controversy in Australia "a circus" and joked that he would prefer that the world number one tennis player didn't play at the upcoming Australian Open.
Defending champion Rafa Nadal began his Italian Open campaign with an emphatic 6-3 6-1 victory over big-serving American John Isner to move into the last-16 on Wednesday.
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.
Rafael Nadal returns to the US Open for the first time in three years short of match practice and with big question marks about his fitness but few people will dismiss the Spaniard's chances of claiming a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.
Sinner, Alcaraz will keep tennis' flag flying: Shastri
Zverev will have a chance to spoil the birthday party for Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday
Rafael Nadal's hopes of completing a rare calendar year Grand Slam ended on Thursday when the Spaniard pulled out of his highly-anticipated Wimbledon semi-final showdown against Australian Nick Kyrgios with an abdominal strain.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz sailed into the Paris Masters third round with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Yoshihito Nishioka but Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev both slumped to surprise losses on Wednesday.
Nadal had said last week that daily training was a challenge and he would take a doctor with him to Paris
Second seed Rafael Nadal said he would make no excuses after his shock loss to American Frances Tiafoe in the US Open fourth round Monday, despite a serious abdominal injury that derailed his run-up to the year's final major.
Despite all the trials and tribulations he suffered in the build-up, no one could prevent Nadal from lifting the Musketeers' Cup for a record-extending 14th time.
Rafa Nadal returned from an injury layoff to beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1 7-6(4) on Wednesday
Nadal had said that he did not know if he would be fit to play against Australian Kyrgios, after appearing close to retiring mid-match against Fritz on Centre Court.
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.
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