The Spanish teenager edged out Argentine ninth seed Guillermo Coria in five sets to win the Rome Masters.
Nadal had arrived in Paris nursing a nagging foot injury and even brought a doctor with him to improve his chances
Rafael Nadal will miss the Monte Carlo Masters as his return from injury has been delayed further.
Rafael Nadal boasted after his first-round US Open match that he had a video recording of being the first player to hit a ball in practice under the new roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Nadal had said that he did not know if he would be fit to play against Australian Kyrgios, after appearing close to retiring mid-match against Fritz on Centre Court.
'What a heart, what a mindset, what guts, what everything, what a REFERENCE you are! I'm at your feet!'
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz clash in the Australian Open final with history on the line as Djokovic chases a record 25th Slam and Alcaraz eyes a career Grand Slam.
Rafael Nadal pulled off an incredible recovery from 1-5 and match-point down to overcome Russia's Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Finals.
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.
Local favourite Thompson saved three match points before prevailing 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 against Nadal, who was playing his first tournament after nearly a year out with a hip injury.
Nadal stretched his record of men's singles Grand Slam titles to 22
Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal will return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in December.
Rafael Nadal said he would love to keep playing long enough for his son to remember him on court, though the 22-time Grand Slam champion concedes time is not on his side.
The ravages of two decades on tour mean Rafael Nadal has rarely been able to prepare for majors like other players, forcing him to rely on skills and mental fortitude.
ATP Tour remembered Maradona with a social media post saying "A champion and icon loved by all", accompanied with a picture of Maradona with Federer.
The two great rivals meet at Roland Garros for the first time in eight years in Friday's tie.
Coco Gauff said she will never again make the mistake of doubting Rafael Nadal's chances at French Open
Rafael Nadal won two Grand Slams this year -- the French Open and the US Open -- to move within one of Roger Federer's record of 20 titles.
The 35-year-old said that the presence of his personal doctor to "do things that help" made sure he could play in Paris although he is unsure of what will come next.
World number two Rafael Nadal will be sidelined for six to eight weeks by the hip flexor injury he suffered during his second-round loss at the Australian Open, the Spaniard's team said on Thursday.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Irina-Camella Begu of Romania in the opening round of the women's draw with second-seeded American Coco Gauff taking on Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
The pair faced each other 40 times over the last two decades in one of the sport's most enduring rivalries, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 24-16.
A quick look at Rafael Nadal's domination of Roger Federer at Roland Garros.
Factbox on Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who beat Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 to win his 10th French Open title on Sunday.
Nadal will resume his fight to stay in the French Open on Thursday
Images from Day 13 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
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.
Rafael Nadal's hopes of completing a rare calendar year Grand Slam ended on Thursday when the Spaniard pulled out of his highly-anticipated Wimbledon semi-final showdown against Australian Nick Kyrgios with an abdominal strain.
Nadal fought from two sets down to defeat Medvedev in a five-set thriller at Rod Laver Arena.
Sitting courtside, Rafael Nadal cried as his great rival, Roger Federer, bid an emotional farewell to tennis at the Laver Cup on Friday, later saying an important part of him was also leaving the men's Tour with the retirement of the Swiss.
Roger Federer said he is "definitely" intending to return to top-level tennis in 2023, but added that he had not made any concrete plans beyond his scheduled appearances at the Laver Cup and his home tournament in Basel later this year.
The 22-year-old Australian breezed past the 15-times Grand Slam champion in about one hour and 20 minutes.
Denis Shapovalov said his Australian Open quarter-final opponent Rafael Nadal "100%" receives preferential treatment from officials and benefited from favouritism during the Spaniard's five-set victory on Tuesday.
Rafael Nadal's absence from Indian Wells saw the 22-times Grand Slam champion slip out of the top 10 for the first time since 2005.
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.
Second seed Rafael Nadal said he would make no excuses after his shock loss to American Frances Tiafoe in the US Open fourth round Monday, despite a serious abdominal injury that derailed his run-up to the year's final major.
Nadal, whose 2022 season began in complete contrast as he went on a 20-match winning spree, said the early defeat ahead of the new season was not a disaster.
Roger Federer saw his men's record haul of 20 Grand Slam singles titles matched by Rafael Nadal on Sunday and the Swiss great was quick to offer his congratulations to the Spaniard.
Former world number one Andy Murray eased past Rafael Nadal in the Spaniard's comeback match at the World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
However, the 33-year-old Spaniard will not know until later on Friday whether his Herculean effort was in vain.
