Wimbledon's grass is slower than when Sampras and all the classic serve-volley specialists ruled the roost and, though it still offers a lower bounce than clay or the hard courts that dominate the circuit, it seems that the difference is becoming marginal.
Thirteen years on and his record next to the Bois de Boulogne stands at an incredible 85 wins and two losses.
Rafael Nadal is no stranger to being out of action for months due to injuries taking a toll on his body but when the Spaniard pulled out from a virtual reality tennis match that would have been contested using a game console - it raised a few eyebrows. The claycourt king had been expected to take on gamer DjMariio as part of a virtual Madrid Open charity event - but ended up being a no show on Monday.
Grigor Dimitrov is the latest player to be hit by injury in Melbourne
Take a look at the five top contenders for the men's singles title at the French Open:
Third seed Rafael Nadal battled through mid-match cramps for more than an hour before he lurched into the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-5 victory over American qualifier Tim Smyzcek.
Iron-willed Czech Tomas Berdych ended eight years of tyranny under nemesis Rafa Nadal to storm into the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday before his next opponent Andy Murray restored British colonial rule to the floodlit centre court.
Claycourt king Rafael Nadal marched into his 10th French Open final after demolishing rising Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-0, while third seed Stan Wawrinka edged past Andy Murray 6-7, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6, 6-1.
Here is a factual guide on the man of the moment...
Professional tennis has been suspended since March because of the outbreak and the ATP and WTA Tours have said the hiatus will continue at least until mid-July. Andy Murray had previously said that tennis would be one of the last sports to resume.
Reader Mamta Nahar sent us these pictures from Chennai.
In his recently-released autobiography, Rafa: My Story, Spanish tennis star and World No. 2, Rafael Nadal claims that the separation of his parents made him depressed and 'his competitiveness had waned'. In an extract from the book, published in The Telegraph, Nadal said he was 'left stunned' when his father, Sebastian, broke the news to him that there were problems back home between himself and his mother, Isabel.
Former world number one Novak Djokovic will miss the US Open after he said on Thursday that he will not be able to travel to New York for the tournament, having chosen not to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Rafael Nadal has been left out of Spain's Davis Cup squad for their World Group first-round match against Croatia this weekend due to fatigue.
There was no rain break, no twilight five-set drama and no Wimbledon trophy on offer on Friday but none of that bothered ageless Swiss maestro Roger Federer. The only thing that mattered to the 20-time Grand Slam champion was that, unlike in his last grasscourt duel with Rafael Nadal 11 years ago, he had won the "crazy last game" which sealed his passage into a 12th Wimbledon final.
The 6-foot-5 frame of Matteo Berrettini will be standing in the way of Novak Djokovic's relentless pursuit of hoarding as many tennis milestones as possible when the two meet in a Wimbledon final where both men will be eyeing the record books.
John Isner pushed on towards a Tour finals spot on Friday when he made it through to the semi-finals of the Paris Masters with a 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4 win over Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro as the tournament was hit by the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal.
Matching Roger Federer's record Grand Slam haul will act as huge motivation for Rafael Nadal
Australian Open chief Craig Tiley is confident Rafael Nadal will be at Melbourne Park for next month's Grand Slam despite testing positive for COVID-19, but he is still uncertain whether Novak Djokovic will be playing.
Roger Federer booked his place in the ATP World Tour Finals for a record-tying 12th consecutive year when he dismissed South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday.
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka advanced to the Rogers Cup quarter-finals on Thursday to set up their first meeting since the American's infamous row with an umpire overshadowed last year's US Open final.
Nadal paid tribute to his uncle and coach Toni after winning a record-extending 10th French Open title on Sunday.
Her last Grand Slam triumph came in 2017 and she has not won a WTA title since lifting the ASB Classic in Auckland at the start of the 2020 season.
Coach Francis Roig, who is training and travelling with the world No. 2 for the Chennai Open, says Nadal loves playing mental battles with his opponents.
French Open champion Stan Wawrinka has become the fourth player to qualify for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Novak Djokovic's steady progress in the last few seasons is a testament to his mental strength and physical conditioning.
Earlier, Ukraine took a 2-0 lead over Japan as world number five Elina Svitolina took the first point of the Billie Jean King Cup era.
Novak Djokovic announced his resignation as head of the ATP's Player Council and intends to form a new breakaway body to represent athletes -- but his plans have immediately met with stiff resistance from within tennis.
was on a 21-match unbeaten run before the season came to a halt in early March, winning the ATP Cup with Serbia, an eighth Australian Open title and a fifth Dubai Tennis Championships crown.
'Of course I feel that I can beat Rafa. He is looking good and injury free. But if I didn't think I could win I would not bother going out on the court'
Rafael Nadal will return to his old routine in a bid to recapture the Wimbledon crown.
"I think especially Rafa playing singles and doubles almost every day, he's been our MVP this week," Lopez said.
Shapovalov will meet Rafael Nadal for a place in the semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic will swiftly overcome the disappointment of failing to win a calendar Grand Slam and a record-breaking 21st major at the U.S. Open, former Yugoslavia Davis Cup coach Radmilo Armenulic said.
Rafael Nadal is expected to be released from a clinic in Barcelona on Tuesday after undergoing a successful appendectomy, the world number three's spokesman said.
Venus Williams will miss the upcoming US Open due to an injury, becoming the third U.S. female after her sister Serena and Sofia Kenin to announce on Wednesday they would not take part in the final Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Roger Federer is looking forward to facing his great rival for the French Open crown a year after Rafael Nadal missed their rendezvous in the final. With usual contenders Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro having pulled out injured, the road looks clearer for another Roger versus Rafa classic.
It was an intense training session for the visiting Spanish tennis team that turned into fun watching for a few fans gathered at the DLTA complex as Marc Lopez and Rafael Nadal aimed at empty ball boxes with their serves. David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez were first to hit the courts in the morning session and once they were done with their routine practice -- the groundstrokes, the volleys and the serves -- in came Nadal and began his drill under scorching heat.
Andy Murray continued his remarkable run on clay.
