'I'm disappointed and sad because after a good start to the season I was coming to a very important part of the year with very good feelings and good results.'
World number one Carlos Alcaraz will not play in the Australian Open after picking up a right leg muscle injury during pre-season training, the Spaniard said on Friday.
'There is so much excitement brewing about Wednesday's Alcaraz and Rune quarter-finals showdown -- it could well be a juicy foretaste of things to come.'
That decision opened a path for him to target a 10th title at the Grand Slam and tie Rafael Nadal's mark of 22 majors.
Like a stern headmaster, a clearly irritated Rafael Nadal beckoned Lorenzo Sonego to the net and gave him an earful about the etiquette of tennis in front of 15,000 wide-eyed fans and a global audience of millions.
Thirteen-time champion Rafael Nadal, 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer and world number one Novak Djokovic were placed in the same half of the French Open draw on Thursday.
Yet the warrior-like instincts kicked in and we were all reminded that Nadal, as long as he is standing, remains a physical and psychological force of nature on a tennis court.
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.
A couple of months ago, the 35-year-old Spaniard was worried that he might never return to the court again.
Daniil Medvedev will play Rafael Nadal for the Australian Open title on Sunday after a stirring victory over Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-final on Friday.
Rafael Nadal is taking no pleasure from the absence of great rival Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, even if it means he has a clearer shot at the Grand Slam title record.
'If I am given the ability to read minds, then definitely get into the mind of M S Dhoni.'
As a sporting spectacle Alcaraz and Djokovic matches have delivered on every level and would be worthy of the Big Apple spotlight.
Rafael Nadal beat new world number one Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3 in a rematch of their Australian Open clash to storm into the final of the ATP 500 event in Acapulco on Friday.
The 33-year-old 19-time Grand Slam champion, who met his wife through his younger sister Maribel, a childhood friend of Perello, tied the knot with the 31-year-old at a castle in the island of Mallorca.
The two great rivals meet at Roland Garros for the first time in eight years in Friday's tie.
Novak Djokovic has no intention of passing the torch to the next generation just yet.
A summary of Thursday's action at the US Open.
Nadal, a Real fan despite his uncle Miguel Angel making over 200 appearances for arch-rivals Barcelona, was seen speaking to umpire Mohamed Lahyani about his team's 0-0 home draw with Real Betis on Saturday and was less than impressed with what he saw.
Obviously there is a void that will never be filled, McEnroe told reporters
The tennis star also opened the doors of his Rafael Nadal Academy to those who were affected by the storm.
While Daniil Medvedev remained the world number one, 2022 Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic dropped to seventh position after the grass-court Grand Slam tournament was stripped of ranking points for banning Russian and Belarusian players.
Zverev will have a chance to spoil the birthday party for Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday
Images from Day 13 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
Nadal's great rival and fellow 20-times Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is also out of the US Open and will be sidelined for many months because he needs knee surgery.
The French Open will be held in Paris from May 22 to June 5.
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.
Novak Djokovic claimed a record-breaking 23rd men's singles Grand Slam title when he beat Norway's Casper Ruud 7-6(1) 6-3 7-5 in the French Open final.
Novak Djokovic defended his father after a video emerged showing him posing at the Australian Open with some fans holding Russian flags, saying he was "misused" by the individuals and that his family was against war.
Medvedev will be glad to play the role of dream wrecker once again.
Holger Rune is only the third player to make it to the French Open quarter-finals on debut since 2005 after Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner.
Novak Djokovic won a record-extending 10th Australian Open crown, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in a generational clash in the men's singles final, at Melbourne Park, on Sunday.
Kyrgios was raging after losing a challenge on his first serve and then smashed down an unstoppable, untouchable second.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic outclasses Russia's Andrey Rublev to set up a meeting with unseeded Tommy Paul in the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
But Ruud, a semi-finalist last year, stamped his authority in the tiebreak and did not face a single break point in the match as he beat the Canadian for the second time this year.
Djokovic said the Spaniard remains his biggest rival.
Nadal has won the Australian and the French Open back-to-back and has the chance to become the first man to win all four majors in the same year
The young royal was urged to not drop the prized Wimbledon trophy by his father after being handed the trophy by Djokovic.
Roger Federer on Sunday congratulated Serbia's Novak Djokovic on joining the 20 Club.
Her last Grand Slam triumph came in 2017 and she has not won a WTA title since lifting the ASB Classic in Auckland at the start of the 2020 season.
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