Defending champion Novak Djokovic lost to Andy Murray in the Toronto Masters quarter-finals but Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal survived a scare to advance on Friday. Nadal, in his first tournament since his epic five-set win over Roger Federer at Wimbledon, was pushed by Frenchman Richard Gasquet before rallying to claim a 6-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Rafael Nadal's announcement on Friday that he will miss the ATP World Tour Finals because of appendicitis ended a difficult year for the Spaniard during which he has endured injury, illness and worrying defeats.
Top seed Rafael Nadal pulled out of this week's Mexican Open in Acapulco after aggravating the leg injury that forced him out of the Australian Open last month.
With Roger Federer and 2018 champion Novak Djokovic having already made exits, Nadal's path to a fourth US Open trophy has been cleared of familiar hurdles.
The Spanish Royal family are great patrons of sport and are seen at all the major events.
'I think it's a great competition but ... I can't change my mind that two world cups (within two months) is not real'
Briton Andy Murray beat world number one Rafael Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 in a disappointing injury-marred World Indoor Tournament final on Sunday.
With Federer certain, young Austrian Dominic Thiem is third in the ATP race to London, followed by Stan Wawrinka, Alexander Zverev, Djokovic, world number one Andy Murray, and Belgium's David Goffin.
Spaniard Nadal was in all sorts of trouble, trailing by a set and 5-4 and with 69th-ranked Rosol serving at 30-0, but his Czech opponent framed a basic backhand volley at 30-15 and blew his chance, Nadal going on to win 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4).
'I feel happy to be part of this rivalry, but at the same time, I played even more matches with Novak (Djokovic) than with Roger in such important matches, too'
Spaniard Rafael Nadal withstood a late fightback by Novak Djokovic to beat the world number three 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 at the French Open on Friday and muscle his way into the final for the fourth consecutive year.
Novak Djokovic's journey to the podium was fuelled by unwavering determination and the unwavering support of his young daughter, Tara.
Novak Djokovic said his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz was becoming like the one he shared with the Spaniard's compatriot, Rafa Nadal, after needing nearly four hours to outlast the 20-year-old world number one in an epic Cincinnati Open final on Sunday.
Djokovic's challenger will be a 22-year-old who is bidding to become the first Greek to win a singles major.
Rafael Nadal claimed a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis to reach the second round of the Dubai Open.
Rafael Nadal won a fourth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters title with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over world number one Roger Federer on Sunday.
Top seed Nadal beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 6-2 while Moya overcame Frenchman Florent Serra 6-3, 6-4.
Rafael Nadal wins his 10th French Open title beating Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday.
Sinner, Alcaraz will keep tennis' flag flying: Shastri
Rafael Nadal powered to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over James Blake to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Masters.
Rafael Nadal put in some late-night overtime to drag hosts Spain into the Davis Cup semi-finals but Novak Djokovic's hopes were dashed in excruciating fashion as Serbia bowed out on Friday.
Argentine Horacio Zeballos sprung a major surprise by beating Rafael Nadal 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 to win the Chilean Open on Sunday and clinch the first title of his career.
Rafael Nadal and the world's best men's tennis players found themselves having to endure a 4 a.m. meeting in the freezing cold after fire alarms forced them to evacuate their central London hotel on Tuesday.
The French Open champion is eyeing glory at Wimbledon, despite having won only one match on grass over the past 12 months.
Andy Murray will draw on the experience of being a grand slam champion and Ernests Gulbis will rely on his "unhealthy diet full of ketchup" as they attempt to prevent a Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic final at the French Open.
Rafael Nadal plays his first Grand Slam as world number one at next week's US Open with a chance to underline a magnificent season.
Seventh seed Wawrinka of Switzerland set up a third-round meeting with Bulgarian ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov after seeing off Argentine Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-1.
Rafael Nadal has cast doubt on his participation at Wimbledon, saying he needs to see how his body recovers after a long clay court campaign culminated in an 11th French Open title.
Rafael Nadal proved that when he is fit in body and mind nobody can stop him at the French Open, least of all last year's tormentor Robin Soderling.
David Ferrer defeated Rafael Nadal while Novsk Djokovic was knocked out of the Shanghai Masters Cup.
The second seed and runner-up last year, will meet Czech Tomas Berdych, the number seven seed, in the last eight.
Russian seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 Miami champion who arrived this year fresh off a run to the Indian Wells semi-finals, crashed out at the first hurdle as he fell 6-2, 6-3 to Spaniard Jaume Munar.
The French Open champion beat Fernando Verdasco 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 in three hours.
Top seed Amelie Mauresmo, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis also revelled in improved conditions following the rain-soaked start to the French Open.
Rafael Nadal steamrolled compatriot Tommy Robredo 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 to move into the semi-finals of the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday.
World number two Rafael Nadal said on Tuesday tennis is free of doping and repeated his view that the testing procedures are too tough. Nadal, who had previously accused controllers of "harassing" the players, said he has a problem with players having to inform anti-doping authorities of their whereabouts on a daily basis.
Claycourt machine Rafael Nadal recovered from a stuttering start to beat Russian qualifier Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-4, 6-1 and reach the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.
Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal is optimistic he will be ready for the Rio Olympics despite heading into next month's Games having not played a competitive match since May 27 due to a left wrist injury.
World number one Roger Federer and Andy Roddick also advanced into the third round.
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.
