The Spaniard beat Tomas Zib 6-2, 6-1 to register his 32nd successive win on clay.
Rafael Nadal made light work of fellow Spaniard David Ferrer to win a protest-interrupted French Open final 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday and become the first man to win eight singles titles at the same tournament.
Rafael Nadal advanced to the second round of the US Open but a knee injury could hamper his campaign.
Let us forget tennis for a while and take a look at Nadal's grand birthday cakes at the Roland Garros over the years. It is a tradition which cannot be interrupted!
Defending champion Rafa Nadal dismantled unseeded Serbian Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 on Monday to set up a French Open quarter-final clash with fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in a repeat of last year's final.
Both men are 31 years old but have little else in common.
Roger Federer erased miserable memories by gliding into the second round of the French Open with a clinical 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Spaniard Alberto Martin on Monday.
Rafael Nadal's return to action came to a shuddering halt on Friday when the Spaniard was beaten by Slovakia's Martin Klizan in a late-night quarter-final duel at the China Open.
World No 1 Rafael Nadal will play local hope Bernard Tomic in the first round of the Australian Open as he bids for a 14th Grand Slam title.
When action begins on Sunday atthe French Open, Nadal will be aiming to become the first man to win a hat-trick of French Open trophies in his first three visits to Paris.
The Swiss ace came from a set down to snap the Spaniard's 81-match winning streak on clay on Sunday.
Nadal will have the chance to claim the top spot back on Monday if he wins his third title in Acapulco
They reached the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open on Monday.
Rafael Nadal stayed on course for a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo Masters title when the Spaniard beat David Goffin 6-3, 6-1 in the semi-finals after the Belgian was denied a key point in controversial fashion on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal, the king of clay won his 11th French Open title on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic reclaimed the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz
It was a case of down but definitely not out as a Rafael Nadal kept picking himself off a slippery and dusty Centre Court surface to storm into the Wimbledon semi-finals with a pulsating 7-5, 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 over Juan Martin del Potro.
World No 2 Rafael Nadal recovered from a slow start to beat compatriot Tommy Robredo and get his Masters Cup campaign back on track.
Nadal paid tribute to his uncle and coach Toni after winning a record-extending 10th French Open title on Sunday.
The Spaniard's main rival, Roger Federer, picked the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship prize for a record fifth successive year.
Holding the racket is not a problem and he remains able to hit his powerful topspin forehand but the world number one has found it increasingly difficult to control his serve as the tournament has progressed.
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.
Images from the French Open matches played at Roland Garros on Thursday.
Serena Williams, hoping to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, will start her campaign against fellow American Kristie Ahn.
World number three Rafael Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters for a record sixth consecutive time with a 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the final on Sunday.
Real Madrid fan Rafael Nadal has extended his support over the appointment of new manager Zinedine Zidane, saying that he deserves to lead one of the most important clubs in the world.
The world number two feared a persistent foot injury would force him to quit tennis at the age of 19
Top seed Rafael Nadal swept aside Swede Robin Soderling 6-1, 6-0 at the Rome Masters on Thursday to book a quarter-final with fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco while Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer also had easy wins. Holder Djokovic breezed past 13th seed Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-1 to set up a last-eight clash with Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro and Federer beat the number 16 seed Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-1 to avenge last year's defeat here by the Czech.
Defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal retired from his semi-final against Argentine third seed Juan Martin del Potro on Friday with right knee issues. The world number one was trailing 7-6(3), 6-2 when he decided to call it a night.
Nadal converted two of three break chances to claim his 19th win in 22 encounters against the Swiss.
One of sport's great rivalries, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have clashed 37 times over the years but never stood across from each other on Flushing Meadows' hardcourts.
'I think for everybody is much more comfortable to play under these conditions than in the other ones.'
Rafael Nadal slumped to one of his worst defeats in a clay final on Sunday but said his week in Madrid had been positive despite losing his Masters crown to Andy Murray in a crushing 6-3, 6-2 reverse.
While Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal won their opening matches in straight sets on Saturday, World No. 4, David Ferrer became the first top seed to make an early exit from the BNP Paribas Open.
Rafael Nadal was kept on Centre Court longer than he would have liked but that did not stop him from putting baby-faced Alex de Minaur firmly in his place with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win in the third round of Wimbledon on Saturday.
It took a while, but Rafael Nadal finally showed up at the ATP's end-of-year fiesta on Monday when he lit up the second day of the World Tour Finals with a compelling round robin victory against Andy Roddick.
Tsitsipas had lost all five previous matches against the Russian, but turned the tables in impressive fashion.
Second seed Rafael Nadal advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open on Friday when Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia retired in the third set after receiving treatment for a rib injury.
Champion Rafael Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon on Friday after losing his battle to recover from a knee injury. 'Unfortunately this year I won't be able to play at Wimbledon,' he told a news conference.
