Girlfriend Xisca Perello, sister Maria Isabel Nadal and mother Ana Maria Parera help him restore the balance away from the courts.
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.
His great rival Roger Federer had already maintained his regal progress earlier on the showcourt and Serena Williams then followed with another thumping win.
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.
Twice finalist Ruud overcomes Davidovich Fokina test
World number one Nadal made the announcement at Melbourne Park's Rod Laver Arena during the "Rally for Relief" event.
The 32-year-old, who was ousted in the fourth round at the All England Club last year, will play ATP NextGen Finals winner Chung Hyeon on Wednesday and Frenchman Lucas Pouille, a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2016, on Friday.
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.
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Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week's Rotterdam Open after being advised by doctors to rest, he said on Thursday.
The Spaniard leads 23-15 on a head-to-head basis but the Swiss has won the last five encounters.
Rafael Nadal consolidated his flying start to the clay-court season by taking a record-extending fifth Madrid Open title on Sunday, battling past a determined Dominic Thiem to win 7-6(10-8), 6-4.
Rafael Nadal, the king of clay won his 11th French Open title on Sunday.
'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.'
Rafael Nadal reached the Olympic Games quarter-finals on Thursday, winning the first of 10 matches he will need to sweep in just four days if he is to secure triple Rio gold. The 2008 champion defeated Gilles Simon 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 for his eighth win over the Frenchman in nine meetings. Nadal, a 14-time major winner, is playing in his first tournament in two months after a wrist injury caused an early withdrawal from the French Open.
"When I was a kid, I just dreamt about playing at Roland Garros, at Wimbledon, professional tournaments. I am no different than many kids. My motivation and passion to try to reach that dream was the key to our success. "We worked hard with motivation. Kids can do it, if I did it," the Spanish legend said ahead of the opening IPTL match. "The only thing I can advise is that try to have right people around you, who know about the sport, who really support you and try to help you reach your best level, practice everyday with motivation and passion. "I had good people around me. Without (coach and uncle) Tony, nothing was possible. I am lucky that someone from my family is my coach forever. We work hard. "We work with passion, with love for what we are doing and just trying to do right things to improve every year. That's the only secret."
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.
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.
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.
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.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal kicked off his grasscourt season with a 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-2 defeat of Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart on Thursday.
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.
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.
'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.
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.
Rafa Nadal says his mental stability has returned after a topsy-turvy year for the former world number one.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 two great rivals meet at Roland Garros for the first time in eight years in Friday's tie.
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.
'He's so important for our game, one of the greatest legends of tennis in the history of the game.'
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.
The US Open organisers are assessing safety measures for the tournament scheduled to begin on Aug. 31 without spectators after the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the season in March.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are determined and inspired by the opportunity to win their first French Open title.
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