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.
Only the familiar figure of Spain's Rafa Nadal now stands between Roger Federer and his seemingly inevitable march to tennis immortality.
Rafa Nadal came from behind to topple great rival Roger Federer 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4 on Thursday in an enthralling Australian Open semi-final of the highest quality.
At 27, the second seed is still seeking his first Grand Slam title and hopes to become the first German man to win the Australian Open since Boris Becker in 1996.
Roger Federer staked his claim as one of the favourites for the Australian Open title later this month by romping into the second round of the Qatar Open, while rival Rafa Nadal survived a scare in windswept Doha on Tuesday.
With his hopes of a French Open final fading, Novak Djokovic even requested to have the Chatrier Court surfaced hosed down as he withered in the face of a Rafa Nadal firestorm on Friday.
Rafa Nadal moved to within one victory of an eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years when he thrashed Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-0 on Saturday to set up a final against fourth-seeded Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro.
An inspired Nikolay Davydenko beat top seed and World No 2 Rafa Nadal 7-6 6-3 to become the first Shanghai Masters champion on Sunday.
Top seed Rafa Nadal moved into the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Friday when Ivan Ljubicic became the eighth player to retire from the $3.24 million tournament. The Spanish world number two had just evened the match up at 3-6, 6-3 when 30-year-old Ljubicic, who had already had treatment on his left thigh, decided he could no longer continue.
Top seed Rafa Nadal marched into the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters with a thoroughly entertaining 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 victory over American James Blake on Wednesday.
World number two Rafa Nadal stopped Marat Safin's Beijing revival in its tracks on Friday with a clinical 6-3, 6-1 victory to reach the semi-finals of the $6.6-million China Open.
Defending champion Rafa Nadal recovered from losing the opening five games against Ernests Gulbis to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Thursday.
Spain's Rafa Nadal sank to his knees in celebration after beating Serbia's Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to win a record seventh French Open title on Monday.
Spain's Rafa Nadal and Briton Andy Murray made up for lost time by demolishing their fourth round opponents in straight sets at the US Open on Thursday to remain on course for a blockbuster semi-final showdown.
Four-times champion Roger Federer was delighted to welcome back to the ATP Tour his long-time rival Rafa Nadal, a man he could face in the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Tennis World No 2 Rafa Nadal and his uncle Miguel Angel Nadal sold their 10 percent shareholding in Spanish football team Real Mallorca on Monday, the club said in a statement.
Having conquered his anxiety and battled through tough situations, Rafa Nadal won possibly the sweetest of his six French Open titles on Sunday.
Rafa Nadal sealed a record-equalling sixth French Open title with a 7-5, 7-6, 5-7 6-1 win over Roger Federer on Sunday to continue his dominance on clay over his great rival.
Alcaraz has been seen as fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal's successor on the Paris clay.
Images from Day 13 at the French Open in Paris, on Friday.
World number one Rafa Nadal, searching for his first US Open title, says he has to improve rapidly to have a chance of glory at Flushing Meadows later this month.
World number one Rafa Nadal saved five match points before beating David Nalbandian 3-6 7-6 6-0 in a classic fourth-round encounter at the ATP event in Indian Wells on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic continued his domination over world number one Rafa Nadal ahead of the French Open by claiming the Rome Masters crown 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to stretch his unbeaten run this year to 37 matches.
Rafa Nadal made sure of retaining his world number one status at the French Open after cruising past Croat Marin Cilic 6-1, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Friday.
Rafael Nadal is hungrier than Roger Federer and is likely to overhaul his Swiss rival's grand slam title tally to become the most decorated player ever, according to former world number one Mats Wilander.
The Spaniard, sidelined by a rib injury at Indian Wells in March, hopes to build momentum in Rome before launching his campaign for a 14th French Open crown
World number one Rafa Nadal underlined his crushing dominance on clay when he overwhelmed Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4 to win a sixth Barcelona Open title in seven years on Sunday.
Rafa Nadal urged tournament organisers to make more consistent surfaces for hard court events after easing past American Taylor Dent 6-2, 7-5 to make the third round of the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday.
'Obviously Rafa is in great position to finish World No. 1'
Rafa Nadal said playing Roger Federer always brings the best out of him after he bludgeoned his way past the Swiss on Friday to reach the final of the Australian Open.
Images from the matches played at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Rafa Nadal pummelled Croatia's Marin Cilic into submission with a brutish 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 victory to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals on Monday.
Images from the Australian Open matches played on Thursday.
Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and other top tennis players hammed it up in exhibition matches on the eve of the Australian Open to raise money for victims of the country's devastating floods on Sunday.
A red-hot Rafael Nadal scorched his friend David Ferrer 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in an all-Spanish duel to reach a record seventh French Open final.
The French Open said it would also honour its 2000 women's champion Mary Pierce as well as fellow local favourite Richard Gasquet, who will retire after the tournament this year.
World number one Rafa Nadal survived a scare and Roger Federer ended a run of recent losses to Tomas Berdych to lead the world's top four players into the semi-finals of the Toronto Masters on Friday.
Rafa Nadal has played down the significance of his victory over Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo, saying winning tournaments was his priority rather than reclaiming the World No 1 spot.
Six-time champion Rafa Nadal was handed a smooth looking path to the French Open final on Friday, avoiding the half of the draw featuring World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer who are seeded to meet in the semi-finals.
It will be the second time Nadal and Del Potro meet at Roland Garros. The previous match up saw the Spaniard beat Del Potro in straight sets in the opening round in 2007.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances