Nadal and Williams headline party for all ages at US Open
A Sela double-fault secured Nadal the break of serve he needed in the first set and Nadal moved two sets clear with a punishing forehand return.
The 33-year-old said that he has not had enough time to practise sufficiently due to inflammation in his left wrist.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal won on Saturday to set up an Italian Open final meeting
IMAGES from the Australian Open final played on Sunday
Nagal is likely to reach a new career-high ranking of world No. 92
The World No 1 told reporters on Friday that his strong performances this season -- including clinching yet another Roland Garros title in June -- have given him momentum heading into the fourth major of the year next week.
Rafael Nadal may have won the French Open a record 12 times but the Spaniard feels this year's conditions will be the most difficult he has ever faced at Roland Garros and mean he must be at his best to have a chance of retaining his title again.
However, the 33-year-old Spaniard will not know until later on Friday whether his Herculean effort was in vain.
The Serb was knocked off top spot by Rafael Nadal on Monday despite winning the Paris Masters last week and will need a strong finish alongside the River Thames to snatch it back.
The second round match against Argentine Federico Delbonis lacked nothing in quality power tennis but was almost entirely devoid of drama and the most notable incident came late in the third set when the ball flew off top seed Nadal's racket and hit a ballgirl on the head.
Tennis is on hold until at least the start of August because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while there have been positive noises about the prospects of the US Open taking place, followed by the French Open, Rafael Nadal served a dose of reality.
No sooner had Novak Djokovic claimed his 17th Grand Slam trophy by triumphing at the Australian Open for the eighth time on Sunday, the Serb was already setting himself a deadline to claim the record of major titles. Djokovic's 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in a thriller over fifth seed Dominic Thiem drew him within three slams of Roger Federer's haul of 20 and two behind second-placed Rafa Nadal's 19.
World number two Rafael Nadal has been named in Spain's squad for their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final against Germany in Valencia next month.
World number one Novak Djokovic's French Open preparations were dealt with a blow as he suffered a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 defeat by Russian Daniil Medvedev in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Friday.
Images from Saturday's action at the Australian Open.
17 is an incredible number. I want to enjoy the moment, says Nadal, who also admits he thought he would have retired by now.
Rafael Nadal put in some late-night overtime to drag hosts Spain into the Davis Cup semi-finals but Novak Djokovic's hopes were dashed in excruciating fashion as Serbia bowed out on Friday.
Serbian tennis star Djokovic and wife Jelena Djokovic had announced that they will donate a million euros to help the people of Serbia combat the coronavirus. Nadal has expressed gratitude to Djokovic for contributing to his fund to aid the fight against the coronavirus.
Rafael Nadal will skip the Miami Open that begins later this month in a bid to recover from a back injury in time for the clay court swing
With the ATP Finals coming up next month, Nadal said on his Facebook page he had made the decision to pull out of next week's Basel tournament after getting medical advice.
Federer beats Ruud, becomes oldest man to reach French Open 4th round since 1972
Factbox on Rafael Nadal, who beat Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to win his 11th French Open title on Sunday:
Here's a look at Nadal's other early exits from the tournament:
Rafael Nadal has criticised Wimbledon's unique seedings formula, which could hinder his chances of a third title when the tournament starts on Monday.
Kyrgios was raging after losing a challenge on his first serve and then smashed down an unstoppable, untouchable second.
ATP Tour remembered Maradona with a social media post saying "A champion and icon loved by all", accompanied with a picture of Maradona with Federer.
Novak Djokovic believes he is the best player in the modern era
Stefanos Tsitsipas pulled off one of the biggest wins of his short but remarkable career by beating Rafael Nadal 6-4 2-6 6-3 on Spanish soil on Saturday to book his place in the Madrid Open final against world number one Novak Djokovic.
'I think it's a great competition but ... I can't change my mind that two world cups (within two months) is not real'
Spain's World Cup winning midfielder Aitana Bonmati was named the Sportswoman of the Year, while Serbia's Novak Djokovic captured the top men's honour at the Laureus awards ceremony on Monday.
Serena Williams, hoping to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, will start her campaign against fellow American Kristie Ahn.
Twelfth seed Djokovic resumed two sets to one ahead after snatching a third-set tiebreak the previous night before Wimbledon's 11pm curfew left the match on a knife edge.
Rafael Nadal reclaimed top spot in the men's ATP rankings on Monday
Austria's Dominic Thiem strained every sinew trying to cling on to the 32-year-old Spaniard and at times even gained a precarious foothold in his first Grand Slam final. But it ultimately proved a futile mission as, just like in all but two of Nadal's previous 87 matches here, the relentless Spaniard proved insurmountable, winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Rafael Nadal is chasing a historic 10th French Open title in Paris, but nothing will ever come close to trying to win his second.
"I don't know what can happen in the future or not. But yeah, 11 here already is something really unbelievable. I always say the same. It looks, for the most of you, and even for me, looks so difficult to increase that number for anyone in the future. But if I did it, and I consider myself a normal person, probably someone else is gonna do it."
Dominic Thiem, U.S. Open winner in 2020, has secured a place in the main draw of the Australian Open after the withdrawal of Reilly Opelka, the tournament organisers confirmed on Friday.
Rafael Nadal suffered a shock 7-5, 6-3 defeat by Austrian Dominic Thiem in the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Friday, a result that means the Spaniard will lose the world number one ranking.
Roger Federer, being the gentleman he is, accepted Rafael Nadal's invite to launch the 9-time French Open champion's tennis academy in Spain.
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