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.
Nadal, whose 2022 season began in complete contrast as he went on a 20-match winning spree, said the early defeat ahead of the new season was not a disaster.
The world number five Spaniard has won 15 straight matches since returning from a foot issue that sidelined him for nearly six months last year.
From the passion of MotoGP champions to the intensity of football pitches and the elegance of synchronised swimming, this collection of images captures unforgettable moments in sports and beyond.
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.
'Heading to dinner with some friends,' Roger captioned a selfie clicked with fellow legends Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, with the London Bridge in the background.
Tennis titans Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic met with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Friday and visited the site of a deadly Bangkok bomb blast.
A Sela double-fault secured Nadal the break of serve he needed in the first set and Nadal moved two sets clear with a punishing forehand return.
Sinner faces defending champ Alcaraz in hotly anticipated French Open final
Top seed Rafael Nadal's bid for a maiden Paris Masters title was halted on Saturday when the Spaniard was beaten 6-4, 7-5 in the semi-finals by German fourth seed Alexander Zverev.
Nadal, bidding for a record-extending 14th French Open title, won the first five games of the match as he looked on course to repeat his drubbing of the Serb in last year's final.
Rafael Nadal pulled off an incredible recovery from 1-5 and match-point down to overcome Russia's Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Finals.
Twelfth seed Djokovic resumed two sets to one ahead after snatching a third-set tiebreak the previous night before Wimbledon's 11pm curfew left the match on a knife edge.
The Serbian's determined performance ensured he became only the second man to win a century of matches at the Parisian Grand Slam
Mondo Duplantis was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, while American gymnast Simone Biles bagged the top women's honour at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
A summary of the day's tennis action at Roland Garros.
Pummelling the ball with such force that it appeared distorted into an oval shape at times, the nine-times French Open champion was able to toy with his opponent until ready to finish him off.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner swept past Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals, the world number one extending his hardcourt winning streak to 25 matches.
The tennis star also opened the doors of his Rafael Nadal Academy to those who were affected by the storm.
Rafael Nadal's hopes of completing a rare calendar year Grand Slam ended on Thursday when the Spaniard pulled out of his highly-anticipated Wimbledon semi-final showdown against Australian Nick Kyrgios with an abdominal strain.
A quick look at Rafael Nadal's domination of Roger Federer at Roland Garros.
The pair faced each other 40 times over the last two decades in one of the sport's most enduring rivalries, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 24-16.
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.
Roger Federer saw his men's record haul of 20 Grand Slam singles titles matched by Rafael Nadal on Sunday and the Swiss great was quick to offer his congratulations to the Spaniard.
Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal will return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in December.
'I believe that tennis or every sport needs rivalries. This could be potentially one of them, but there are amazing players coming up.'
Kyrgios was raging after losing a challenge on his first serve and then smashed down an unstoppable, untouchable second.
Even though he withdrew from his semi-final tie with Denis Shapovalov, Nadal's run to the last four in Paris saw him reclaim the number one spot from Novak Djokovic on Monday.
Rafael Nadal's preparations for his Australian Open title defence got off to a wobbly start as Cameron Norrie handed him a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat in the United Cup on Saturday to give Britain a 1-0 lead.
'With all the foot issues, just turned 36, he adds his 22nd Major'
Rafael Nadal gave Russian teenager Andrey Rublev a tennis lesson on Wednesday, racing into the semi-finals of the US Open with a ruthless 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win that cleared the path for a possible showdown with rival Roger Federer.
World number two Rafael Nadal has been named in Spain's squad for their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final against Germany in Valencia next month.
The two great rivals meet at Roland Garros for the first time in eight years in Friday's tie.
Nadal stretched his record of men's singles Grand Slam titles to 22
Mats Wilander said it was a 'miracle' that Nadal won two majors during the year.
Djokovic is the last member of the "Big Four" still standing and the Serb said he wanted to continue giving to the sport.
According to Hola magazine, Nadal and Xisca got secretly engaged in May last year and now planning an autumn wedding this year.
With world number four Ruud already assured of a semi-final berth the match was in reality a dead rubber.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic remained at the top of the rankings chart
It was only 13-time champion Rafael Nadal's third defeat here since his debut in 2005 and the first time in 115 best-of-five-set matches on clay that he had lost after taking the opening set.
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