He also overtook his career-best 65-season win tally of 2023 with this win.
Alexander Zverev kept his bid for an elusive first Grand Slam title alive by reaching a fourth straight semi-final at the French Open
Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori retained their mixed doubles title at the US Open on Wednesday, overcoming Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the final.
Nadal, who would pass fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno as the oldest Roland Garros men's singles champion if he wins, had to dig deep again in a three-hour slugfest in the semi-final against Alexander Zverev before the German was forced to retire mid-match after injuring his ankle.
But Ruud, a semi-finalist last year, stamped his authority in the tiebreak and did not face a single break point in the match as he beat the Canadian for the second time this year.
Poland's Iga Swiatek continued her terrific run with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Petra Kvitova on Wednesday to reach the Miami Open semi-finals, while Norway's Casper Ruud upset men's second seed Alexander Zverev in their quarter-final clash.
Eighth seed Casper Ruud rallied from a set down to beat an error-prone Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to become the first Norwegian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final and set up a French Open title clash against 13-time champion Rafael Nadal.
Casper Ruud returned to the French Open final for a second year running by dismantling German 22nd seed Alexander Zverev to set up a showdown with 22-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Norway's Casper Ruud, the French Open runner-up in 2022 and 2023, crashed out of the tournament in the second round on Wednesday after losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to unseeded Nuno Borges of Portugal.
Leicester City part ways with head coach Van Nistelrooy after Premier League relegation
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz continued his sensational play on Friday to beat defending champion Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(5), 7-6(2) and set up a Miami Open final against Casper Ruud, who ended the dream run of Francisco Cerundolo with a 6-4, 6-1 win earlier.
A 55-shot, marathon rally brought fans to their feet in Flushing Meadows on Friday but nearly leveled the two men who lived through it, Norwegian Casper Ruud and Russian Karen Khachanov, competing in their US Open semi-final.
The match marked world number two Medvedev's ninth win in a row at the ATP Finals and he improved his head-to-head record over Ruud to 3-0.
As the spotlight shines on Carlos Alcaraz's title defence and Novak Djokovic's pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam, a determined group of challengers is quietly preparing to shake up the draw.
Erling Haaland is the tenth player to reach the landmark of 50 goals in the UEFA Champions League and fastest to do so, beating the 62-match record of Ruud van Nistelrooy.
'When you are playing defensive against Rafa on clay, he will eat you alive'
'We heard it was like the Hollywood of mixed doubles.'
Norway's Casper Ruud harnessed his mighty forehand to reach his second Grand Slam final this year by beating Russia's Karen Khachanov 7-6(5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 at the US Open, keeping alive his hopes of reaching the top of the world rankings.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Thursday.
Despite all the trials and tribulations he suffered in the build-up, no one could prevent Nadal from lifting the Musketeers' Cup for a record-extending 14th time.
Casper Ruud has become the first Norwegian to book a place in the season-ending ATP Finals, leaving one spot to be filled at the tournament in Turin, Italy later this month.
Cilic had never made it past the quarters in Paris but has now made the semis or better at all four majors.
World number one Novak Djokovic began his quest for a sixth title at the season-ending ATP Finals with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Norway's Casper Ruud in their round robin encounter in Turin on Monday.
Friday's match was a straight shootout for a last-four place, with world number five Rublev the favourite having won his four previous matches against Ruud.
Defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz powered into the second round of the French Open on Monday.
Iga Swiatek captured her first Cincinnati Open title on Monday by beating Jasmine Paolini in straight sets.
World number two Gauff clawed her way back from a set down to defeat Russian Veronika Kudermetova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a match that stretched over two and a half hours.
No. 2 seed Casper Ruud of Norway will take on unseeded Denis Shapovalov of Canada in the Dallas Open final on Sunday after both notched semi-final victories.
Michelsen, seeded 26th, will face hard-hitting 11th seed Karen Khachanov of Russia, who upset eighth seed Casper Ruud in their fourth round match 6-4, 7-5.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and No. 8 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland will clash in the ABN Amro Open semi-finals on Saturday after both posted victories on Friday in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Arne Slot is the first to win the top flight in England where many of his compatriots have suffered dents to their reputations over the years.
The Dane revealed he had taken notes from how Novak Djokovic beat Alcaraz in the Olympic final at Roland Garros.
Factbox on Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Italian world number one Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) in the French Open final on Sunday to win his fifth Grand Slam title.
Carlos Alcaraz demolished Mattia Bellucci to banish memories of last year's shock early exit at the US Open on Wednesday.
Tenth seed Lorenzo Musetti rallied from a set down to beat Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday even as Carlos Alcaraz mauled big-serving American Reilly Opelka and veteran Venus Williams made an emotional exit.
Nine of the world's top-10 men and nine of the top-10 women have officially entered into the U.S. Open's revamped mixed doubles event, tournament organisers said on Tuesday, with former singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu teaming up.
Vardy will leave Leicester at the end of the season, with the 38-year-old former England international set to play his final game for the club
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz made light of feeling under the weather as he dispatched Russia's Andrey Rublev in impressive fashion to revive his ATP Finals hopes on Wednesday.
Manchester United have dismissed speculation that their leading scorer is on his way to Barcelona or Real Madrid.
