Top seed Rafa Nadal overpowered American Mardy Fish 7-5, 6-1 behind a dizzying flurry of baseline winners to reach the final of the Japan Open on Saturday.
The instant surge of ecstasy Rafa Nadal felt after his epic Australian Open semi-final against Fernando Verdasco in the early hours of Saturday did not last long. The world number one was all smiles as he threw his arms around his fellow Spaniard after beating Verdasco 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 in the longest match ever played at the Australian Open.
World number one Rafa Nadal put his recovery from a bout of flu to the test with a rain-interrupted practice session at Melbourne Park on Tuesday ahead of next week's Australian Open.
Rafa Nadal ran himself to the point of exhaustion in Monday's US Open final against Novak Djokovic then ran out of answers.
Clay maestro Rafa Nadal was in cruise control in the latest phase of his French Open build-up while Robin Soderling, the man who ended the Spaniard's Roland Garros reign, crashed out of the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
World number one Rafa Nadal overpowered Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-1, 7-5 to win the Japan Open on Sunday to cap a week of "Nadal Fever" in Tokyo.
Novak Djokovic is all that stands between Rafa Nadal and his official crowning as one of the game's greatest all-round players.
World number one Rafa Nadal acclaimed Novak Djokovic as the man to beat at the French Open after losing to the Serbian in straight sets on clay for the second time in a week at the Rome Masters on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal saw off Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-1, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the last 16 of the Barcelona Open, while Andy Murray advanced after opponent Bernard Tomic withdrew.
Former world number one Rafa Nadal withdrew suddenly from the doubles at the Brazil Open on Wednesday because of what organisers said was a desire to preserve his strength for the singles competition.
World number one Rafa Nadal set up the prospect of another mouthwatering claycourt final against Novak Djokovic after beating Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-1 in the Rome Masters semi-finals on Saturday.
World number two Rafa Nadal scraped into the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open after beating fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 in a fierce battle on Thursday but his rivals all had comfortable paths into the last eight.
Spain's David Ferrer has pulled out of Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament because of an elbow injury, the All England Club said in a statement on Sunday.
Alcaraz has been seen as fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal's successor on the Paris clay.
An inspired Nikolay Davydenko beat top seed and World No 2 Rafa Nadal 7-6 6-3 to become the first Shanghai Masters champion on Sunday.
'Obviously Rafa is in great position to finish World No. 1'
Defending champion Rafa Nadal recovered from losing the opening five games against Ernests Gulbis to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Thursday.
Four-times champion Roger Federer was delighted to welcome back to the ATP Tour his long-time rival Rafa Nadal, a man he could face in the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Rafa Nadal returned from an injury layoff to beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1 7-6(4) on Wednesday
Having conquered his anxiety and battled through tough situations, Rafa Nadal won possibly the sweetest of his six French Open titles on Sunday.
Rafa Nadal sealed a record-equalling sixth French Open title with a 7-5, 7-6, 5-7 6-1 win over Roger Federer on Sunday to continue his dominance on clay over his great rival.
Images from Day 13 at the French Open in Paris, on Friday.
Rafa Nadal is aiming to be back to his best after injury in time for the claycourt season and the run-up to Roland Garros, the Spaniard said.
Images from the matches played at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Rafa Nadal said playing Roger Federer always brings the best out of him after he bludgeoned his way past the Swiss on Friday to reach the final of the Australian Open.
Rafa Nadal has played down the significance of his victory over Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo, saying winning tournaments was his priority rather than reclaiming the World No 1 spot.
A spellbinding display of brutal hitting and raw speed from Rafa Nadal secured the Spaniard his second Wimbledon title on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory over 12th seed Tomas Berdych.
A red-hot Rafael Nadal scorched his friend David Ferrer 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in an all-Spanish duel to reach a record seventh French Open final.
A fatigued Novak Djokovic stared down a ferocious challenge from Rafa Nadal to retain his Australian Open title on Sunday in the longest Grand Slam final played.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer believes that Rafael Nadal is still the favourite to win the French Open next month despite the Spaniard's recent struggles to regain form.
Australian Open champion Rafa Nadal said he would love to finish his career with more Grand Slam titles than rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but thinks he will have to secure more than 21 to do so.
Former World No. 1 Rafa Nadal admitted he has struggled of late to rekindle his passion for tennis on Thursday after defeat by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sent him spinning out of the ATP World Tour Finals at the group stage.
The Spaniard, sidelined by a rib injury at Indian Wells in March, hopes to build momentum in Rome before launching his campaign for a 14th French Open crown
Real Madrid fan Rafa Nadal may be distracted by the thrilling climax to the soccer season during his Madrid Open final with arch rival Roger Federer on Sunday.
Rafa Nadal said he was not playing well enough to lift the French Open title despite breezing past Ivan Ljubicic in their fourth-round match on Monday.
Defending champion Rafa Nadal began his Italian Open campaign with an emphatic 6-3 6-1 victory over big-serving American John Isner to move into the last-16 on Wednesday.
Rafa Nadal suffered his first claycourt defeat in 23 matches on Thursday and threatened to boycott next year's Madrid Open if officials did not ditch the blue clay that players have labelled 'too slippery' and only fit for 'smurfs (to) play on'.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in straight sets on Saturday and will play Rafa Nadal in the Rome Masters final for the second year in a row.
Rafa Nadal reclaimed his French Open crown in emphatic style on Sunday when he battered Sweden's Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to win the title for the fifth time in six years.
The 32-year-old, who was ousted in the fourth round at the All England Club last year, will play ATP NextGen Finals winner Chung Hyeon on Wednesday and Frenchman Lucas Pouille, a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2016, on Friday.
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