Rafael Nadal is no stranger to being out of action for months due to injuries taking a toll on his body but when the Spaniard pulled out from a virtual reality tennis match that would have been contested using a game console - it raised a few eyebrows. The claycourt king had been expected to take on gamer DjMariio as part of a virtual Madrid Open charity event - but ended up being a no show on Monday.
World number one Rafael Nadal recovered from an upset loss against Belgium's David Goffin to win the deciding doubles match and send Spain into the semi-final of the ATP Cup teams event in Sydney in the early hours of Saturday. Spain will now play host nation Australia in the inaugural event, while Serbia, led by world number two Novak Djokovic, take on Russia.
Rafael Nadal, whose all-time claycourt record now stands at 414-36 says nobody should assume his feats are routine and that each victory is celebrated like the first.
Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal will return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in December.
Rafael Nadal continued his imperious run of form as he swept aside American Donald Young 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 in the Wimbledon second round on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old bellowed a series of frightening roars after completing a victory that at one stage looked like a formality but became increasingly fraught as Berrettini threw the kitchen sink at the Serb who becomes only the second man to reach 40 Grand Slam semi-finals after Roger Federer.
Images from Day 10 of the 2020 French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
A win for Djokovic would move him past Pete Sampras (14) to outright third on the list of Grand Slam title winners.
'Yes, I fall over, but grass sometimes is slippery. Nothing happens. I am good, yeah. Nothing'
Rafael Nadal overcame a temporary blip on his way to victory at the ATP Cup on Saturday
Nadal converted two of three break chances to claim his 19th win in 22 encounters against the Swiss.
While taking questions about his first round victory, the World No 2 spotted a journalist snoozing away in the corner of the room.
Nadal kept up his bid for a third Wimbledon and French Open double, putting on an ominous show to beat Karen Khachanov 6-1 6-4 7-6(3) on Friday on Centre Court and reach the last 16.
Here are a few famous faces that watched Nadal go one step close to matching Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles...
Rafael Nadal smoothly negotiated the potential stumbling block presented by Frenchman Benoit Paire on Monday, launching his bid for a 10th French Open trophy with a largely routine 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 win.
French Open champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week's Aegon Championships at The Queen's Club after advice from his doctors to rest, organisers announced on Tuesday.
Buys team in electric powerboat series.
Daniil Medvedev was philosophical about his loss to Jannik Sinner in Sunday's Australian Open final, rationalising that at least he had made it to the title-decider and not crashed out in an earlier round.
If Rafael Nadal's Australian Open semi-final win over Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas was one-sided, Novak Djokovic showed he could be even more brutal in his victory against Lucas Pouille on Friday.
Rafael Nadal captured his 16th career Grand Slam title and third at the US Open
Images from Monday's action at the French Open.
American Sam Querrey claimed the biggest title of his career with an emphatic 6-3, 7-6(3) upset victory over second seed Rafael Nadal in the final of the Mexican Open.
Twice finalist Ruud overcomes Davidovich Fokina test
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka beat Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2 under the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Thursday to move into the French Open third round.
'I really don't think much about these kind of things. I do my way, he does his way'
Rafael Nadal said he was proud and had nothing to reproach himself for after losing a top-quality Wimbledon semi-final to great rival Novak Djokovic on Saturday.
French Open champion Rafael Nadal has said he nearly ended his season after being forced to withdraw from the Indian Wells semi-finals with a knee injury in March.
Rafael Nadal set up an Italian Open semi-final with Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday thanks to a 6-4, 6-0 win over Fernando Verdasco.
Images from the Wimbledon semi-final played between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on Friday
Rafael Nadal survived a fightback from Alexander Zverev to win a record eighth Italian Open 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal kept the flag flying for the old guard at the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals, where he will meet another next generation player in Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Saturday's match between Djokovic and Nadal will be the 50th between the two great rivals, who have won a combined 26 Grand Slam titles.
'This was the first time that I played points and that was too much for me today'
'You can't be frustrated all the time because the neighbour has a bigger house than you, or a bigger TV or better garden. That's not the way that I see the life, you know'
World number two Rafael Nadal confirmed on Tuesday that he will not defend his US Open crown this year at Flushing Meadows as organisers released the singles entry list for the Grand Slam. Spain's Nadal had said in June that he had reservations about travelling to the U.S. amid the COVID-19 pandemic and he joins women's world number one Australian Ash Barty in skipping the tournament due to COVID-19 concerns.
hampion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic turned in impressive displays to reach the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Thursday. Nadal, chasing a record-extending 12th Monte Carlo title, broke Grigor Dimitrov's serve on four occasions to defeat the Bulgarian 6-4 6-1.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will attempt to set a world record for attendance at a tennis match, with the help of some celebrity guests, when they play an exhibition game in Cape Town in February.
Factbox on Rafael Nadal's French Open final wins
'To be honest, the whole tournament I haven't really played close to my best. I didn't feel really myself on the court during this tournament. One can say semi-finals is a great result, of course, but I always expect the highest of myself.'
The 'Big Three' of tennis world -- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic -- won't lose much due to the suspension of professional tours since they have already created their own legacies but the real struggle is for lower-ranked players, including the Indians, says legendary Vijay Amritraj. Amritraj said the trio of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, who have a tight grip over Grand Slam tournaments, won't feel any financial stress or the pressure of progress.
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