Nadal and Williams headline party for all ages at US Open
Nadal's participation in the season-ending Tour finals hung in the balance when the Spaniard pulled out of the Paris Masters
Images from Saturday's action at the Australian Open.
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
Novak Djokovic believes he is the best player in the modern era
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.
A Sela double-fault secured Nadal the break of serve he needed in the first set and Nadal moved two sets clear with a punishing forehand return.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal won on Saturday to set up an Italian Open final meeting
However, the 33-year-old Spaniard will not know until later on Friday whether his Herculean effort was in vain.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal remains on course for an 11th Monte Carlo Masters title after beating Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals on Saturday.
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.
'It's a positive start with a good result. If I do months without playing an official match, it's always a little bit more difficult.'
'I understand it's a show, but under the roof we need to be a little bit more strict about the noise. All the noise stays inside, and this is difficult.'
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.
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.
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.
IMAGES from the Australian Open final played on Sunday
Images from Day 2 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday.
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 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.
Andy Murray hinted that this could be his last season after he recorded his 500th hardcourt win with a 4-6 7-6(5) 6-3 victory over Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday.
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.
Novak Djokovic also surpassed Rafael Nadal to make a record 77 Masters 1000 semi-final appearances.
Images from Day 7 of the 2024 French Open.
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.
Jannik Sinner was not about to announce the end of the "Big Three" after his breakthrough Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open but the 22-year-old Italian does believe tennis needs a fresh generation of champions.
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.
17 is an incredible number. I want to enjoy the moment, says Nadal, who also admits he thought he would have retired by now.
Serena Williams, hoping to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, will start her campaign against fellow American Kristie Ahn.
Kyrgios was raging after losing a challenge on his first serve and then smashed down an unstoppable, untouchable second.
Federer beats Ruud, becomes oldest man to reach French Open 4th round since 1972
Rafael Nadal has criticised Wimbledon's unique seedings formula, which could hinder his chances of a third title when the tournament starts on Monday.
The 34-year-old bellowed a series of frightening roars after completing a victory that at one stage looked like a formality but became increasingly fraught as Berrettini threw the kitchen sink at the Serb who becomes only the second man to reach 40 Grand Slam semi-finals after Roger 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'
'He's so important for our game, one of the greatest legends of tennis in the history of the game.'
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.
Factbox on Rafael Nadal, who beat Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to win his 11th French Open title on Sunday:
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 no stranger to being out of action for months due to injuries taking a toll on his body but when the Spaniard pulled out from a virtual reality tennis match that would have been contested using a game console - it raised a few eyebrows. The claycourt king had been expected to take on gamer DjMariio as part of a virtual Madrid Open charity event - but ended up being a no show on Monday.
Here's a look at Nadal's other early exits from the tournament:
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