The World No 1 told reporters on Friday that his strong performances this season -- including clinching yet another Roland Garros title in June -- have given him momentum heading into the fourth major of the year next week.
IMAGES from the Australian Open final played on Sunday
World number two Rafael Nadal has been named in Spain's squad for their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final against Germany in Valencia next month.
Raducanu stormed into the third round of the Cincinnati Open
Alcaraz's triumph on the Parisian red dirt was the third Grand Slam trophy of his young career and followed the Spanish world number three's breakthrough title at the 2022 U.S. Open and epic Wimbledon victory 12 months ago.
17 is an incredible number. I want to enjoy the moment, says Nadal, who also admits he thought he would have retired by now.
However, the 33-year-old Spaniard will not know until later on Friday whether his Herculean effort was in vain.
The Serb was knocked off top spot by Rafael Nadal on Monday despite winning the Paris Masters last week and will need a strong finish alongside the River Thames to snatch it back.
World number one Novak Djokovic's French Open preparations were dealt with a blow as he suffered a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 defeat by Russian Daniil Medvedev in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Friday.
The second round match against Argentine Federico Delbonis lacked nothing in quality power tennis but was almost entirely devoid of drama and the most notable incident came late in the third set when the ball flew off top seed Nadal's racket and hit a ballgirl on the head.
No sooner had Novak Djokovic claimed his 17th Grand Slam trophy by triumphing at the Australian Open for the eighth time on Sunday, the Serb was already setting himself a deadline to claim the record of major titles. Djokovic's 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in a thriller over fifth seed Dominic Thiem drew him within three slams of Roger Federer's haul of 20 and two behind second-placed Rafa Nadal's 19.
Rafael Nadal may have won the French Open a record 12 times but the Spaniard feels this year's conditions will be the most difficult he has ever faced at Roland Garros and mean he must be at his best to have a chance of retaining his title again.
With the ATP Finals coming up next month, Nadal said on his Facebook page he had made the decision to pull out of next week's Basel tournament after getting medical advice.
Thousands of athletes and staff roamed the Olympic village freely, mingling at cafes and swapping souvenir pins.
Rafael Nadal put in some late-night overtime to drag hosts Spain into the Davis Cup semi-finals but Novak Djokovic's hopes were dashed in excruciating fashion as Serbia bowed out on Friday.
Tennis is on hold until at least the start of August because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while there have been positive noises about the prospects of the US Open taking place, followed by the French Open, Rafael Nadal served a dose of reality.
Here's a look at Nadal's other early exits from the tournament:
Andy Murray's illustrious career finally came to an end as he and doubles partner Dan Evans were beaten 6-2, 6-4 by American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the Olympics quarter-finals at Roland Garros on Thursday.
Factbox on Rafael Nadal, who beat Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to win his 11th French Open title on Sunday:
Serbian tennis star Djokovic and wife Jelena Djokovic had announced that they will donate a million euros to help the people of Serbia combat the coronavirus. Nadal has expressed gratitude to Djokovic for contributing to his fund to aid the fight against the coronavirus.
Federer beats Ruud, becomes oldest man to reach French Open 4th round since 1972
Images from Saturday's action at the Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal has criticised Wimbledon's unique seedings formula, which could hinder his chances of a third title when the tournament starts on Monday.
Kyrgios was raging after losing a challenge on his first serve and then smashed down an unstoppable, untouchable second.
Rafael Nadal will skip the Miami Open that begins later this month in a bid to recover from a back injury in time for the clay court swing
Stefanos Tsitsipas pulled off one of the biggest wins of his short but remarkable career by beating Rafael Nadal 6-4 2-6 6-3 on Spanish soil on Saturday to book his place in the Madrid Open final against world number one Novak Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal is chasing a historic 10th French Open title in Paris, but nothing will ever come close to trying to win his second.
Rafael Nadal reclaimed top spot in the men's ATP rankings on Monday
Twelfth seed Djokovic resumed two sets to one ahead after snatching a third-set tiebreak the previous night before Wimbledon's 11pm curfew left the match on a knife edge.
Roger Federer, being the gentleman he is, accepted Rafael Nadal's invite to launch the 9-time French Open champion's tennis academy in Spain.
Jannik Sinner bounced back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev and win his maiden Grand Slam title.
Austria's Dominic Thiem strained every sinew trying to cling on to the 32-year-old Spaniard and at times even gained a precarious foothold in his first Grand Slam final. But it ultimately proved a futile mission as, just like in all but two of Nadal's previous 87 matches here, the relentless Spaniard proved insurmountable, winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Novak Djokovic etched his name into Olympic history, capturing the gold medal in a thrilling victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
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.
'I think it's a great competition but ... I can't change my mind that two world cups (within two months) is not real'
France showcased its cultural diversity, spirit of revolution, impeccable craftsmanship, and architectural heritage in a riveting opening ceremony for the 33rd Olympic Games.
Rafael Nadal suffered a shock 7-5, 6-3 defeat by Austrian Dominic Thiem in the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Friday, a result that means the Spaniard will lose the world number one ranking.
Rafael Nadal, whose all-time claycourt record now stands at 414-36 says nobody should assume his feats are routine and that each victory is celebrated like the first.
Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal will return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in December.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic beat Italy's Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 6-2 to reach his first Olympic final on Friday and will bid for gold in a blockbuster clash with Carlos Alcaraz.
