Although Nadal has revealed that he has seen improvements in his hip injury after trying a new treatment, the question still remains: Will Rafa defend his title at the French Open?
The sight of a stricken Rafa Nadal being finished off by fellow Spaniard David Ferrer at the Australian Open on Wednesday was a stark reminder of the precipice he walks in search of sporting perfection.
Being neither 'arrogant' nor 'crazy', Rafa Nadal is refusing to think about a third Wimbledon title ahead of his first-round match against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci on Tuesday.
As Rafael Nadal prepares to ride off into the sunset after a stellar career, his fellow professionals from eras old and new agree on one thing - the Spaniard remains an inspirational role model whose legacy has shaped tennis over the last 23 years.
Top seed David Ferrer summed up his error-strewn defeat by qualifier Dmitry Tursunov as "one of the worst I have played" after falling at the first hurdle at the Barcelona Open on Wednesday.
World number one Rafa Nadal began his quest for a third claycourt title in a month with a 6-1, 6-3 drubbing of unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the Madrid Masters second round Wednesday.
It will be the second time Nadal and Del Potro meet at Roland Garros. The previous match up saw the Spaniard beat Del Potro in straight sets in the opening round in 2007.
The US Open is the only Grand Slam that world number one Rafa Nadal has yet to win and the Spaniard admits he has found it tough physically to raise himself at the end of the season.
For the third time in five years, Rafa Nadal's Australian Open title hopes were ended by injury as he was beaten by Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka in the final on Sunday.
A true legend of the game who paved the way and taught so many of us how to be as a player and as a person.
Rafa Nadal soothed his disappointment at yet another loss to Novak Djokovic in the longest ever Grand Slam final by declaring he was at least free of the mental chokehold the Serb had placed him under throughout last year.
Novak Djokovic is ready to challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the Grand Slam stage when he returns to action at the Australian Open after an underwhelming campaign this year, the 24-times champion said.
The two men's quarter-final matches due to be played at the French Open in Paris on Tuesday have been postponed until Wednesday after rain disrupted play at Roland Garros.
Rafael Nadal will play at the Australian Open in January
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played on Wednesday.
Rafa Nadal's 11-month title drought continued after American Andy Roddick beat the Spaniard 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the Sony Ericsson Open final Friday. Sixth seed Roddick will face Tomas Berdych in the final after the Czech swept past Swede Robin Soderling 6-2, 6-2.
Rafa Nadal admitted to being a bit scared on his return to action at the China Open this week after sustaining two injuries in what has been a "difficult year" for the world number two.
World number one Rafa Nadal won a record extending ninth French Open title when he beat Serbian second seed Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in Sunday's final.
Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 7-5 3-6 7-6 3-6 6-2 to become the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open title on Sunday.
Madison Keys was dumped out of the Miami Open third round on Sunday, falling 6-4, 6-2 to Philippine wild card Alexandra Eala
Fourth seed Rafa Nadal was stunned by Serb Viktor Troicki in an upset-filled Shanghai Masters second round on Wednesday while Andy Murray breezed past American Steve Johnson and Nick Kyrgios slumped to a listless defeat. Troicki, ranked 31st in the world, overcame Nadal 6-3 7-6(3) in an hour and 34 minutes to secure his first ever victory in five previous attempts against the 14-time grand slam winner. The unseeded Serb broke twice to seal the opening set before Nadal came back strongly in the second. The Spaniard saved a match point at 5-4 down but was defeated in the tiebreak.
Images from the men's singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon on Wednesday.
The French Open said it would also honour its 2000 women's champion Mary Pierce as well as fellow local favourite Richard Gasquet, who will retire after the tournament this year.
The Serbian won 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 to claim his 15th Grand Slam title.
Following a hip surgery, Rafael Nadal's season is all but over.
Factbox on Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Alexander Zverev
ATP chief hails Nadal's 'unprecedented' return to top
Sumit Nagal got the big break as he was the highest ranked player in that draw.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal kicked off his grasscourt season with a 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-2 defeat of Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart on Thursday.
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.
"But if you need a reminder of who he is, just look at his career stats and grand slams that he won."
Rafael Nadal has said he will sue the former French government minister Roselyne Bachelot after she alleged that the Spaniard's lengthy absence from tennis in 2012 was due to a positive doping test.
The 20-year-old Korda, son of 1992 runner-up Petr, had enjoyed a dream run in his first Tour-level event on clay and was up against his idol -- the man he named his cat after.
Rafa Nadal says his mental stability has returned after a topsy-turvy year for the former world number one.
Rafa Nadal's bid to get back to top form before the French Open suffered a setback when he crashed to a 6-4, 7-6(6) defeat to 13th-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini in the third round of the Barcelona Open on Thursday.
Djokovic says young rivals have awoken his inner 'beast'
Nadal said he did not expect to go all the way at Melbourne Park
'It'll also be difficult for him, tennis requires that competitive rhythm, but Rafa is Rafa, even if he arrives without many matches, he'll surely show a spectacular level.'
Eight-time Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl said whoever ends up winning the most majors among the 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic should be considered the greatest male tennis player of the Open era. Federer, who will be 39 in August, leads the race with 20 Grand Slam singles titles, with Spaniard Nadal close on his heels with 19. Reigning world No. 1 Djokovic is three behind the Swiss with 17 majors under his belt and is the youngest of the trio - at 32 he is a year younger than Nadal.
Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, will step down as his coach after this year's ATP Tour, as he feels he has been sidelined by other figures in the player's entourage, he told an Italian tennis magazine.
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