Rafa Nadal overpowered qualifier Go Soeda 6-3, 6-2 as he began the defence of his Japan Open title in a blur of swashbuckling winners on Tuesday.
Both men are 31 years old but have little else in common.
Let us forget tennis for a while and take a look at Nadal's grand birthday cakes at the Roland Garros over the years. It is a tradition which cannot be interrupted!
Rafael Nadal turned dream wrecker at Flushing Meadows when he downed American favourite Mardy Fish 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in a rowdy late late show that closed Wednesday's programme at the US Open.
Four-times French Open champion Rafael Nadal opened his grasscourt season on Wednesday with a ruthlessly efficient 6-2, 6-2 victory over experienced Swede Jonas Bjorkman at the Queen's Club ATP tournament. Andy Roddick began his pursuit of a fifth Queen's title by preceding Nadal on Centre Court and thumped down 15 aces to beat compatriot Robby Ginepri 6-7, 6-1, 6-1.
Spain's Rafael Nadal defeated local boy Di Wu in straight sets to reach the second round of the China Open on Tuesday.
Tennis World No 5 Rafael Nadal and Olympic champion Mo Farah have spoken in defence after Russian cyber espionage group Fancy Bears leaked their medical data on Monday.
Hurkacz, Swiatek win as Poland march into United Cup final
Rafael Nadal said fatigue would be his biggest enemy when he led a formidable Spanish men's quartet in the Olympic tennis event starting on Saturday.
Rafa Nadal made a dazzling start to his Wimbledon title defence with an easy win over American Michael Russell on Monday before home favourite Andy Murray produced some indoor fireworks to join the Spaniard in the second round.
The Rafael Nadal asteroid, currently located between Mars and Jupiter, is 4 kilometers in diameter and travels through space at a speed of 20 km per second.
Rafael Nadal looks unstoppable at the US Open.
Rafael Nadal stands on the verge of becoming the best player in the world, even if Monday's rankings showed that he was still number two.
The Briton, who was thrashed 6-3 6-1 by the Croatian in the Dubai Championships in 2015, performed poorly in the first set and after recovering in the second he then surrendered his serve in the seventh game, giving Coric three break points.
Former world number one Rafael Nadal ended his season on Thursday as he has yet to fully recover from a wrist injury that has hampered him since the French Open in May.
Legendary Rafael Nadal was at his energetic best in his two wins as rampaging Indian Aces continued their sparkling run in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) with a 30-12 rout of the Philippines Mavervicks, on the opening day of the Indian leg of the event.
Rafael Nadal becomes the 24th player to be ranked No 1 on the ATP charts.
Rafael Nadal ended Roger Federer's five-year reign as king of Wimbledon on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 victory in one of the most dramatic finals seen at the All England Club.
Carlos Moya won the 'battle of Mallorca', beating Rafael Nadal 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the second round
Third seed Rafael Nadal remains on course for a 10th Barcelona Open title, advancing to the quarter finals with a routine 6-3, 6-4 victory over Kevin Anderson.
Rafael Nadal made a successful comeback after a seven-month injury absence with victory in the first round of the Chilean Open doubles on Tuesday.
Rafael Nadal rubber-stamped his grasscourt credentials by winning his first Queen's Club trophy with a 7-6, 7-5 victory over Serbia's Novak Djokovic on Sunday. The top seed became the first Spanish man to win a title on green turf since Andres Gimeno walked away with the Eastbourne trophy in 1972.
Rafael Nadal's path to his Australian Open semi-final against Grigor Dimitrov on Friday has taught the 30-year-old Spaniard one thing -- he's still got it.
Jannik Sinner won his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Sunday.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic swept aside opponent David Ferrer of Spain in straight sets to set up China Open summit clash against third-seed Rafael Nadal.
Federer and world number one Nadal won the first three grand slam titles of the season as they came back to prominence with a bang, and nothing suggests their first-round opponents, American Frances Tiafoe and Serbian Dusan Lajovic, will bother them.
The Australian fell to the floor in celebration after clinching the victory, before sticking a finger behind his ear and asking the raucous crowd to cheer louder.
Alcaraz will hope to bury memories of an injury-plagued start to last year when he missed the Australian Open
Bulgarian's Grigor Dimitrov claimed a first career win over former world number one Rafael Nadal at the eighth time of asking to reach the semi-finals of the China Open on Friday.
Facts and figures on Sunday's all-Spanish men's French Open final between Rafa Nadal and David Ferrer.
A 30-year-old German journeyman who once travelled around Europe's Challenger Circuit in a camper van joined a list of Wimbledon luminaries who go by the names of Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis and Nick Kyrgios.
French Open finalist Rafael Nadal has pulled out of next week's Wimbledon warm-up event at Halle in Germany, citing fatigue after a busy few weeks of tennis.
Rafael Nadal will miss next week's ATP tournament in Buenos Aires following a stomach bug that has hindered his recovery from the back injury he sustained at the Australian Open.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal came from a set down and 5-2 behind in the third to scrape past Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7, 7-6, 7-5 in the Pacific Life Open fourth round. However, smooth progress was made by three-times champion Roger Federer and third-seeded Serb Novak Djokovic, Federer outplaying Croat Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-4 after Djokovic had earlier crushed Argentina's Guillermo Canas 6-2, 6-3.
Nadal paid tribute to his uncle and coach Toni after winning a record-extending 10th French Open title on Sunday.
Former Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal could be heading for a clash with one of his Big Four rivals as early as the fourth round after the Spaniard was seeded 10th for the grasscourt championships.
Fabio Fognini pulled off a huge upset, stunning top seed and holder Rafael Nadal 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the Rio Open semi-final on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal denied a claim from his coach and uncle Toni Nadal that he had a potentially career-threatening foot injury.
A seemingly invincible Novak Djokovic playing some of the best tennis of his career at 36 heads to Wimbledon seeking to tighten his stranglehold.
Rafael Nadal won his eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over fellow Spaniard and fourth seed Nicolas Almagro on Sunday.
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