If Stanislas Wawrinka's life depended on the outcome of one tennis match he would surely want Rafa Nadal fighting his corner, and while the stakes were not as high as life or death on Friday the Swiss player's fate was in safe hands.
Images from Day 13 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
Nadal has won the Australian and the French Open back-to-back and has the chance to become the first man to win all four majors in the same year
Alexander Zverev cruised past Frenchman Lucas Pouille in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open on Sunday.
'I wanted to fight until the last ball and that was the key.'
The Spaniard's withdrawal means Medvedev will be top seed at the March 1-7 event, which also features top-10 players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.
'I think I played a great first set, one of the best of the claycourt season, in my opinion. No mistakes, high intensity, winners, playing long'.
Nadal has a habit of truly coming into his own at Roland Garros, as his 100-2 win-loss record testifies.
Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Rafael Nadal for the fourth time in a row and claim his third Italian Open title with an impressive 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory in Rome.
'I have been serving well, starting to create damage with the forehand. Hitting serve on one shot, I think'
Djokovic left little doubt that he would also be there trying to win major number 23.
Federer being out of the way does not hand Nadal a free path to glory in Melbourne
Rafael Nadal is the oldest title winner in the history of the clay-court tournament.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal took care of business in their singles matches before teaming up in an eagerly anticipated doubles pairing to extend Europe's lead over players from the rest of the world in the inaugural Laver Cup on Saturday.
'I'm disappointed and sad because after a good start to the season I was coming to a very important part of the year with very good feelings and good results.'
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.
Rafael Nadal toppled big-serving American Reilly Opelka to remain perfect on the year while unseeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic stunned world number six Matteo Berrettini.
Jabeur advances to first WTA 100 final in Madrid in style.
Rafael Nadal warmed up for the French Open with a battling 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 win over world number one Novak Djokovic as the Spaniard claimed a record-extending 10th Italian Open title in Rome on Sunday in the latest chapter of their rivalry.
John Isner pulled off the biggest win of his career at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday before Roger Federer outplayed long-time rival Rafa Nadal in the other semi-final.
A summary of Monday's action at the US Open.
Rafael Nadal smoothly negotiated the potential stumbling block presented by Frenchman Benoit Paire on Monday, launching his bid for a 10th French Open trophy with a largely routine 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 win.
Novak Djokovic won a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title by after winning this year's Wimbledon drawing level with long-time rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
The 20-times Grand Slam champion said he was having some "unpleasant moments" but was hoping to feel better soon.
Nadal fought from two sets down to defeat Medvedev in a five-set thriller at Rod Laver Arena.
Nadal said the two-week gap between the French Open and Wimbledon was not enough time for him to recuperate
Rafael Nadal is taking no pleasure from the absence of great rival Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, even if it means he has a clearer shot at the Grand Slam title record.
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.
Rafael Nadal dropped a set at Roland Garros for the first time in two years but roared back to beat 10th seed Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 on Wednesday and storm into the French Open semi-finals.
Djokovic did not play badly in the final but it took him 55 minutes before he registered his first game in what turned out to be a mauling.
The 34-year-old played no part in his country's ATP Cup campaign, which ended in a 2-0 semi-final defeat at the hands of Italy on Saturday.
Documents relating to Farah, and published on the fancybear.net website, showed that the distance runner had no active Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) at the time of the Olympics. TUEs allow athletes to take banned substances for verified medical needs and there is no suggestion any of those named have broken any rules
Medvedev squandered a two-set lead against Nadal in their previous meeting in the Melbourne final in January, allowing the Spaniard to clinch his 21st Grand Slam title.
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's great rival and fellow 20-times Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is also out of the US Open and will be sidelined for many months because he needs knee surgery.
Nadal and Williams headline party for all ages at US Open
Roger Federer left a lasting impression on the Madrid Open's controversial blue claycourt by grinding out a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory against Czech Tomas Berdych to match Rafa Nadal's record of 20 Masters titles on Sunday.
Sumit Nagal was handed a straight-set defeat by Canada's Milos Raonic in the opening round of the BNP Paribas Open.
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