With world number four Ruud already assured of a semi-final berth the match was in reality a dead rubber.
Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has confirmed he will join world number one Andy Murray in this summer's Aegon Championships at Queen's Club.
While taking questions about his first round victory, the World No 2 spotted a journalist snoozing away in the corner of the room.
However, the 33-year-old Spaniard will not know until later on Friday whether his Herculean effort was in vain.
Novak Djokovic beat Casper Ruud in the French Open final to win a men's record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.
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.
'I wanted to fight until the last ball and that was the key.'
Yet the warrior-like instincts kicked in and we were all reminded that Nadal, as long as he is standing, remains a physical and psychological force of nature on a tennis court.
Rafael Nadal said on Friday that he intends to compete at Wimbledon later this month
World number one Rafael Nadal on Sunday inaugurated the Nadal Tennis School at the Anantapur Sports Village in Anantapur town of Andhra Pradesh and interacted with young tennis players.
Rafael Nadal is aiming to successfully defend his Australian Open title at the first Grand Slam of the year in January after an injury-plagued 2022.
Resurgent Spanish great Rafael Nadal will have the rare privilege of playing on a court named after him when he meets Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva in the last 32 of the Barcelona Open on Wednesday.
Roger Federer, being the gentleman he is, accepted Rafael Nadal's invite to launch the 9-time French Open champion's tennis academy in Spain.
Nadal appeared close to retiring mid-match on Wednesday on Centre Court but he found the will to beat Fritz
Girlfriend Xisca Perello, sister Maria Isabel Nadal and mother Ana Maria Parera help him restore the balance away from the courts.
Nadal's unbeaten streak of 20 matches in the year 2022 came to an end as he lost to Taylor Fritz
Here's a look at Nadal's other early exits from the tournament:
Although hampered by a chronic foot injury that saw him out in the last 16 of the Italian Open, an event that precedes the French Open, the 21-time Grand Slam champion has looked pain-free in his bid for a 14th French Open crown.
World number one Rafael Nadal said on Wednesday he would skip the Asian leg of the ATP tour to recover from the knee injury he picked up at the US Open, a decision that will boost Novak Djokovic's chances of ending the year top of the rankings.
Novak Djokovic turned on the style to outclass old adversary Rafael Nadal and reach the final of the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at the 02 Arena in London, on Saturday.
'He told me that (I had) a great run, and I told him again, 'bravo'.'
Rafael Nadal set up an Italian Open semi-final with Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday thanks to a 6-4, 6-0 win over Fernando Verdasco.
Rafael Nadal said he feels sorry for Novak Djokovic after the world number one was denied entry into Australia but added that the Serb knew for months he could potentially face problems if he arrived without being vaccinated against COVID-19.
Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe has advised Rafael Nadal to sack his long-term coach, uncle Toni and 'get a new damn coach' to get back to top form.
'I believe I'm in a different moment, in a separate situation and in an unexplored terrain.'
Rafael Nadal stormed into the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 demolition of former finalist Marcos Baghdatis.
Nadal arrived in Paris with his own doctor to get through the tournament despite the injury.
The 31-year-old Spaniard has not played since he withdrew from the season-ending World Tour Finals in London in November with a knee injury. He had already withdrawn from an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi that starts later on Thursday.
He was drawn in the toughest half of the draw with Nadal as well as in-form Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz and world number three Alexander Zverev, who could clash in the last eight.
Garbine Muguruza officially became the world number one as the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) updated the rankings on Monday.
The World No 1, who extended his hardcourt winning streak to 26 matches, will play against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals.
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.
Rafael Nadal said he was lucky to be part of an era of tennis that included Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after the Spaniard won a men's record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open to move one ahead of his two great rivals.
Team Europe's Nadal was scheduled to take on Team World's Nick Kyrgios in his singles clash before partnering Swiss Federer to face John Isner and Jack Sock.
Sinner faces defending champ Alcaraz in hotly anticipated French Open final
World number one Rafael Nadal made light work of Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the Barcelona Open final 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday, lifting the trophy for a record-extending 11th time.
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.
World No 5 Rafael Nadal has ruled out joining forces with Indian tennis great Leander Paes 'anytime soon', insisting that he is focusing entirely on the singles event.
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week's Rotterdam Open after being advised by doctors to rest, he said on Thursday.
Nadal's participation in the season-ending Tour finals hung in the balance when the Spaniard pulled out of the Paris Masters
