'If he can stay as healthy as he is now, without injury, motivated, looking after himself the way he is....'
'When you are playing defensive against Rafa on clay, he will eat you alive'
24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic looked completely powerless as he was pummeled into submission by Spain's Carlos Alcaraz.
Rafael Nadal will have his work cut out when play begins next week, not on the Caja Magica's three red dust courts, but on gaming consoles.
If Stanislas Wawrinka's life depended on the outcome of one tennis match he would surely want Rafa Nadal fighting his corner, and while the stakes were not as high as life or death on Friday the Swiss player's fate was in safe hands.
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 was at his awe-inspiring best as he recovered from a first set wobble to crush Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the US Open semi-finals on Friday and move within reach of a 16th Grand Slam title.
Medvedev says all-conquering Djokovic is the 'greatest'
Alcaraz's hero Rafael Nadal, who won two Wimbledons and once beat Roger Federer in five sets once said Alcaraz's victory over Djokovic felt similar.
Federer cannot fathom how his perfect tennis can be defeated again and again by the fury of Nadal. That's why he was crying. And it hurts Nadal. But he will carry on beating him because he cannot help himself.
Russian Andrey Rublev has become the fifth singles player to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin next month, the men's tour said.
Djokovic's sixth trophy this season helped him to extend his lead over the second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in the race to the year-end number one spot
"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."
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.
Germany's Andrea Petkovic reached her first Grand Slam semi-final on Wednesday, thrashing 10th seed Sara Errani 6-2, 6-2 after a lengthy rain delay at the French Open.
Novak Djokovic has suffered more than his fair share of heartache against Rafael Nadal at the French Open but Sunday's final offers him a chance to dethrone the claycourt king.
John Isner pulled off the biggest win of his career at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday before Roger Federer outplayed long-time rival Rafa Nadal in the other semi-final.
Rafael Nadal dug deep to beat mercurial wildcard Nick Kyrgios 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-4 in a blockbuster quarter-final match that lived up to the hype at Indian Wells on Thursday.
All players who want a visa to compete in the Australian Open will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, the country's immigration minister said on Wednesday, putting Novak Djokovic's title defence and Grand Slam record bid in doubt.
What should have been a dream showdown between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal has turned into the battle of Poland as Lukasz Kubot and Jerzy Janowicz unexpectedly find themselves in Wimbledon's quarter-final mix along with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Wimbledon has witnessed some seismic shocks down the years but few could top twice champion Rafa Nadal's elimination at the hands of Steve Darcis, a Belgian ranked 135th in the world, in the first round on Monday. Here are six other matches that shook up Wimbledon.
Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and others who have complained about the blue clay at the Madrid Open are 'weenies', according to former Women's No. 1 Serena Williams.
'He was a better player I think in important moments.'
'We are truly blessed to bear witness to the divine talents of, and scarcely human displays put on by, Roger Federer and his bromance buddy, rival, nemesis and plausible co-claimant to GOAT ('greatest of all time') status, Rafael Nadal,' says Arvind Subramanian, who steps down as chief economic adviser to the Government of India in September.
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 Andy Murray eased past Rafael Nadal in the Spaniard's comeback match at the World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Four protesters, one letting off a flare, briefly interrupted the French Open tennis final between Rafa Nadal and fellow Spaniard David Ferrer on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal returns to the US Open for the first time in three years short of match practice and with big question marks about his fitness but few people will dismiss the Spaniard's chances of claiming a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.
Images from Day 6 at the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris, on Friday.
The trio of Spaniards -- Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro -- showed why the nation has ruled Roland Garros for most of the last decade.
One of sport's great rivalries, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have clashed 37 times over the years but never stood across from each other on Flushing Meadows' hardcourts.
Medvedev will be glad to play the role of dream wrecker once again.
World number seven Tomas Berdych has withdrawn from the Barcelona Open due to illness, organisers said on Tuesday.
David Ferrer has ensured Spanish representation at the ATP World Tour finals by booking his place at the eight-man finale taking place in London for the fourth year next month.
Zverev deserved to be thrown out for umpire abuse, says Nadal
Jannik Sinner was not about to announce the end of the "Big Three" after his breakthrough Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open but the 22-year-old Italian does believe tennis needs a fresh generation of champions.
With the preliminaries now out of the way, the US Open men's competition can really begin. As expected, the world's top four players, Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, are safely through to the semi-finals.
Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic: whoever wins at Roland Garros will claim something more than just the French Open title as tennis is going through a "very special time", according to Federer himself.
Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal moved a step closer to another possible final showdown after recording straight-set wins in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Friday.
Roger Federer left a lasting impression on the Madrid Open's controversial blue claycourt by grinding out a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory against Czech Tomas Berdych to match Rafa Nadal's record of 20 Masters titles on Sunday.
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