Champion Rafa Nadal and the three other leading men's contenders charge into Wimbledon with major expectations despite all battling minor fitness issues in the run-up to the grasscourt Grand Slam.
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.
The last time Argentina met Spain in the Davis Cup, in the 2008 final in Mar del Plata, the South Americans were firm favourites to claim their first title but their challenge was wrecked by infighting within the team.
What happens when sports stars have all the free time at hand and no play?
Zverev deserved to be thrown out for umpire abuse, says Nadal
Medvedev will be glad to play the role of dream wrecker once again.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic will miss next week's China Open in Beijing with a back injury, the 24-year-old Serb said on Thursday.
German seventh seed Alexander Zverev recovered from a slow start to beat former champion Stan Wawrinka 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the Australian Open on Wednesday to reach his first career Grand Slam semi-final. Swiss Wawrinka, who won the first of his three Grand Slams at Melbourne Park in 2014, broke Zverev twice early in the opening set to breeze through the opening set but the 22-year-old German came roaring back into the contest.
Twelve years after leaving home with a racket bag full of dreams Novak Djokovic saw two of them come true in three remarkable days at Wimbledon, culminating in an emphatic victory over Rafa Nadal in the men's singles final on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic's tremendous run of form since the start of the year means the Serb has already booked his spot at the ATP World Tour finals in London.
Former World No. 1 Roger Federer was named as the high-profile replacement for the injured Rafael Nadal in Team India in the forthcoming International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), the organisers announced on Monday.
Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman ended a dream run at the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Wednesday on a high, despite losing 7-5, 6-4 to world number one Rafa Nadal in the fourth round.
Novak Djokovic brilliantly dominated a listless Andy Murray to claim his second Australian Open title on Sunday to confirm the arrival of a genuine third force at the top of men's tennis.
Denis Shapovalov said his Australian Open quarter-final opponent Rafael Nadal "100%" receives preferential treatment from officials and benefited from favouritism during the Spaniard's five-set victory on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old has now recorded victories over all of tennis's so called 'Big Three' this year, having beaten Roger Federer at the Australian Open and Rafa Nadal in Madrid.
Andy Murray humbled Roger Federer 7-5, 7-5 to defend his Toronto Masters title on Sunday, confirming the Briton as one of the favourites for the US Open.
A near flawless Novak Djokovic crushed Marin Cilic 6-0, 6-3 to set up a blockbuster Monte Carlo Masters semi-final with claycourt king Rafa Nadal, who came through a testing workout by David Ferrer on Friday.
Australian Open set a Grand Slam attendance record with more than 900,000 spectators visiting over three weeks
Wimbledon is ready to kick into gear after a stop-start first week, with seven Grand Slam champions in action on 'Manic Monday' when all the men's and women's fourth-round matches are contested.
World number two Roger Federer lamented what could have been after he lost a thrilling five-set final to Rafa Nadal in the Australian Open on Sunday.
A potential semi-final with number one seed Novak Djokovic looms for defending champion Andy Murray following the Wimbledon draw on Friday.
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.
David Ferrer, the lesser known Spaniard in the ATP World Tour Finals, burst out of Rafa Nadal's shadow to reach the last four on Wednesday with a demolition job on World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the O2 Arena, in London.
Some of the most iconic moments of Roger Federer's glittering career featured Rafael Nadal across the net but on Friday his great Spanish rival will be alongside him for his final bow.
Frances Tiafoe said his days of flying under the radar were over
Daniil Medvedev will play Rafael Nadal for the Australian Open title on Sunday after a stirring victory over Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-final on Friday.
Teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev have both said they would not want their quarter-final, also on Tuesday, to be scheduled during the night session.
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.
Big-serving Milos Raonic fought back from a set down to upset Rafa Nadal 4-6, 7-6(10), 7-5 in a pulsating quarter-final at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday.
Fernando Verdasco was kicking himself after narrowly missing his chance to beat fellow Spaniard Rafa Nadal in an epic five-set semi-final at the Australian Open in the early hours of Saturday. The energy-sapping five hour 14 minute match beat the previous record held by Boris Becker and Omar Camporese since 1991 by three minutes.
Before the tournament, top seed Djokovic declared the three should be favourites to win the Slams, and Federer agreed when asked after his Evans match.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has recognized the French Open semi-final encounter between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the "Best Grand Slam Match of the Year".
Defending champion Novak Djokovic returns to the Australian Open seeking his third consecutive trophy at Melbourne Park, where memories of last year's gut-wrenching final against Rafa Nadal still linger around Rod Laver Arena's blue centre court.
Before we choose our favourites for the US Open men's singles title this year, let's get one fact in place -- since the 2005 French Open, only five men have won Grand Slam singles titles but rarely have all five been in contention at the same event.
Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a record seventh Australian Open title on Tuesday with an impressive 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-2 win over hard-hitting Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.
Carlos Alcaraz is the third Spaniard to reach the Wimbledon men's singles final after Manuel Santana and Rafael Nadal.
Tsitsipas was philosophical in defeat.
American Frances Tiafoe celebrated his 21st birthday by stunning Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 7-5 in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday.
Defending champion Roger Federer became the second high-profile casualty at the Madrid Open when he was beaten 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 by Japanese 14th seed Kei Nishikori in the third round.
Novak Djokovic will be hoping his gamble to play in the Monte Carlo Masters does not leave his claycourt season going bust after he decided to test his injured ankle in the glamorous principality.
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