On Sunday, we witnessed the farewell of a tennis legend: Rafael Nadal, “King of Clay” and a symbol of inspiration.
Roland Garros will pay tribute to its greatest champion with a ceremony for the retired Rafael Nadal on Sunday, while Aryna Sabalenka gets her French Open campaign up and running on the opening day of the tournament.
The 38-year-old Spaniard, winner of 22 Grand Slam trophies, including 14 at Roland Garros, retired from the sport after his final match at the Davis Cup in Malaga in November.
For over two decades, the "Big Three" of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic dominated the sport, pushing each other to unimaginable heights. Now, a new story begins.
Retired Swiss star Federer and Nadal faced each other 14 times at Grand Slam tournaments with Nadal holding a 6-3 advantage in finals.
The 38-year-old Nadal last month announced he was putting an end to his glittering tennis career after the Davis Cup final
Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal is aiming to cap his emotional farewell from tennis with another Davis Cup triumph in Malaga next week.
Carlos Alcaraz said he was hoping to make Rafael Nadal's tennis farewell at the Davis Cup Finals a victorious one after he was dumped out of the ATP Finals at the group stage with a straight-sets defeat to Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Novak Djokovic implored long-time adversary Rafael Nadal to put off his planned retirement after defeating the Spaniard Saturday in what was likely to be the final chapter of their "amazing rivalry".
"I'm soaking wet, honestly," he said. "It's a very, very humid day as it was yesterday. I just hope it rains so it cools down the temperature a bit and the air," said Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal said he will make a decision on his future in tennis "after the Olympics" in the aftermath of a shattering straight-sets defeat to old rival Novak Djokovic at the Paris Games on Monday.
It was 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic's 31st win in a rivalry which began on the same Roland Garros clay courts in 2006.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will do battle once more when they meet at the Paris Olympics on Monday while Australia's Ariarne Titmus is hotly tipped to win her second swimming gold of the Games.
"The important thing is that today he has warmed up, that he is ready to play," said Ferrer.
The 38-year-old effectively ruled himself out of the singles tournament as he battles a thigh injury picked up in training at Roland Garros, the scene of 14 of his 22 Grand Slam triumphs.
Novak Djokovic lost just one game in his Olympic tennis opener on Saturday to set up a potential blockbuster clash against old rival Rafael Nadal.
Nadal, a singles gold medallist at the 2008 Olympics, is playing in his final Games having also won doubles gold in Rio in 2016, while Djokovic was a bronze medallist in singles in 2008.
Nadal, the 2008 singles gold medallist, will pair up with Alcaraz in a tennis dream team at Roland Garros, looking to also add to the doubles title he won with close friend Marc Lopez at Rio in 2016.
The 38-year-old Spanish left-hander has a protected ranking of ninth to put himself into the field for the Flushing Meadows fortnight, which begins on August 26.
