Rafael Nadal

NOVAK DJOKOVIC beat Diego Schwartzman to set up a potential rematch with Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

The third set was more even until Djokovioc save a break point to hold for 3-2, and immediately pounced to get his own break, taking a 4-2 lead to put himself within two games of the quarter-final. And Schwartzman then broke the Serb for the first time before holding for a 3-0 lead. After coming through for 2-1, he broke Schwartzman at the first opportunity in the next game and had three more break points at 4-1, successfully converting the serve and closing out a 6-1 set in 39 minutes.

Rafael Nadal won a Roland Garros thriller Sunday as he survived a major scare from Felix Auger-Aliassime to set a blockbuster quarter-final showdown with ...

I was able to play more aggressive and go more often to the net and it made a difference without a doubt.” The other seven all rose to World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in their careers. He gained the crucial break in the eighth game before he held serve to secure his victory, letting out a roar in delight. Auger-Aliassime refused to go away though at the start of the fourth set, securing early breaks to swing momentum back in his favour as he hit 14 winners in the set and held his nerve to force a decider. He has a huge serve and I was not able to push him back. “The beginning of the fourth was very tough. With his victory, the 35-year-old has now reached the quarter-finals in 16 of his 18 appearances in Paris. Prior to Sunday, Nadal had been taken to five sets in just two of his 111 matches at the event. He reduced the unforced errors, targeting the World No. 9’s backhand with heavy topspin to dictate. The only thing I can guarantee is that I am going to fight until the end.” The Canadian’s flat hitting and depth forced Nadal into errors with the Canadian breaking twice to move ahead. However, the 13-time champion kept his composure and demonstrated his trademark winning mentality to advance after four hours and 23 minutes on a court he has had so much success on.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet in the Roland Garros quarterfinals on Tuesday. Here's a breakdown of their rivalry by the numbers.

21: After capturing the Australian Open in January, Nadal is the all-time men’s leader with 21 Grand Slam singles titles. He is seeking to extend his record with a 22nd major title, while Djokovic is looking to tie him at 21. Nadal broke in the eighth game of the fifth set and then served it out with a forehand winner into the open court after a short rally. I am glad because I didn’t spend too much time on the court, because it will be physical. The only thing I can guarantee is I’m going to fight until the end, so many thanks.” And the only thing that I can tell you is I’m going to be focused since [Monday], going to try my best as always.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will play in the French Open quarterfinals after each won his fourth round match at Roland Garros.

I’m glad that I didn’t spend too much time on the court myself up to quarterfinals, knowing that playing him in Roland Garros is always a physical battle, along with everything else,” said Djokovic, who beat 15th-seeded Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 earlier Sunday and has won all 12 sets he’s played in the tournament. Looking at the larger picture, Nadal’s record 13 championships at Roland Garros are part of his haul of 21 Grand Slam trophies, a record for men. Djokovic leads 30-28, although Nadal has a 7-2 advantage at the French Open.

RAFAEL NADAL needed five sets to defeat his uncle's new charge Felix Auger-Aliassime in the French Open fourth round.

With the ninth seed serving at 3-4, Nadal suddenly pounced and set up two break points to serve for the match. The Canadian ended his opponent’s run by holding to open the fourth and was suddenly right back in it as he converted his second break point to start the set with a 2-0 lead. Nadal was the first player to set up break point chances in the match but the ninth seed saved all three to hold for 2-1, before breaking the 13-time French Open champion himself.

When it came to Sunday's contest pitting Rafael Nadal against Felix Auger-Aliassime—RaFAA?—Toni Nadal couldn't lose. Either his nephew, or his pupil, ...

But Nadal answered right back with a love hold for 4-3. On serve, Auger-Aliassime wasn’t going anywhere, either; he made 12 of 14 first serves in his first two final-set service games and held for 2-2. It was breathtaking.” For all Nadal has experienced in his career, fifth sets at Roland Garros have been scarce. Either his nephew, or his pupil, would advance to the quarterfinals and get a shot at defending champion Novak Djokovic. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Leylah Fernandez vs.

Rafael Nadal got through a serious test in the French Open's by edging Felix Auger-Aliassime to set up a record 59th matchup against rival Novak Djokovic.

No other two men have played each other as many times in the professional era of tennis. Two of those three career defeats in Paris came against Djokovic, owner of 20 major titles and two at the French Open. Last year, Djokovic beat Nadal in the semifinals en route to the trophy. Sunday’s thriller in Court Philippe Chatrier was only the third five-setter Nadal ever has played at Roland Garros, where he has won 13 of his record 21 Grand Slam titles.

The 13-time champion Nadal has only lost three matches at Roland-Garros.

Announcer Mike Breen to miss Celtics-Heat Game 7 after testing positive for COVID-19 Auger-Aliassime, 21, got out to the early lead but Nadal roared back to win the next two sets. Djokovic defeated Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round earlier Sunday.

Rafael Nadal came through his first test of the French Open to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime and set up a quarter-final clash with Novak Djokovic.

Nadal began to get cheap service games, and he worked a break of his own to get back on level terms in the contest. Auger-Aliassime had not read it, as he found his level from the first set at a time when Nadal’s intensity drifted, and he was able to force a deciding set. As the temperature dropped in Paris, the snap went from Nadal’s groundstrokes. Nadal paid tribute to Auger-Aliassime, as he said: “He did a lot of things well. In contrast, Auger-Aliassime was razor sharp and hungry to chase down everything and return it with interest. “I had to do something different at the end of the match.

RAFAEL NADAL touched on his upcoming rematch with Novak Djokovic in the French Open quarter-final.

It’s difficult, he has a huge serve, he puts a lot of pressure on you and I was not able to push him back. The 21-time Grand Slam champion was also full of praise for his most recent opponent after Auger-Aliassime pushed him to a rare five-setter in Paris, in what Nadal called "a very important victory for me without a doubt." Rafael Nadal reminded Novak Djokovic that they were playing at his most successful tournament after setting up a rematch with his long-time rival in the French Open quarter-final.

Rafael Nadal won in five sets while his quarter-final opponent Novak Djokovic will be the fresher having beaten Diego Schwartzman in straight sets.

He peppered Nadal with well-timed drop shots, he continued to look for forehands to dominate with and he was supreme at the net. From the player who would run out of ideas in his early exchanges against the big players, here he continually searched for solutions and often found them. Just as it seemed that Nadal was in control, however, he inexplicably started the fourth set with a flurry of unforced errors. Nadal then rode all of his momentum to a two sets to one lead. He watched on as, after the elation of Real Madrid’s Champions League win that Nadal attended, on an extremely cold afternoon Nadal started the match out of sorts. Rafael Nadal has played 112 tennis matches at Roland Garros over the course of his career and he has somehow lost just three times on these courts.

PARIS — By the end of only the third five-setter Rafael Nadal has played in 112 career French Open matches, as the sun and temperature descended and the ...

I’m glad that I didn’t spend too much time on the court myself up to quarterfinals, knowing that playing him in Roland Garros is always a physical battle, along with everything else,” said Djokovic, who beat 15th-seeded Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 earlier Sunday and has won all 12 sets he’s played in the tournament. Looking at the larger picture, Nadal’s record 13 championships at Roland Garros are part of his haul of 21 Grand Slam trophies, a record for men. Djokovic leads 30-28, although Nadal has a 7-2 advantage at the French Open. Overall he is 109-3 here, and two of those defeats came against Djokovic, including in last year’s semifinals. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but the only thing I can guarantee is I am going to fight until the end.” “Of course we know each other well.

Rafael Nadal reacts to his thrilling win against Felix Auger-Aliassime at Roland Garros and looks ahead to his quarter-final blockbuster against Novak ...

I hope to be able to give myself a chance to play at the highest level possible.” Nadal is now a jaw-dropping 109-3 at Roland Garros, where he will face Djokovic for the 10th time and 59th time overall. “That's why I am just trying to enjoy as much as possible and fight as much as I can to keep living the dream that is [to] keep playing tennis and be back in a very advanced round of Roland Garros, playing against the World No. 1,” Nadal said. “I am in [the] quarter-finals of Roland Garros. Two weeks and a half ago, even if I had good hopes, positive hopes after Rome, I [didn’t even] know if I would be able to be here,” Nadal said. And being honest, every match that I play here, I don't know if [it is] going to be my last match here in Roland Garros in my tennis career. It is easy to forget that Nadal missed a month-and-a-half after the BNP Paribas Open due to a stress fracture in one of his ribs.

Rafael Nadal's 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime at Roland Garros on Sunday may or may not go down as the best match of the year.

With FAA serving at 3-4, Nadal started by hitting a big forehand and finishing the point with a smash for 0-15. The last two games were the final act of the match, and a fitting pinnacle. This was a movie many of us have seen dozens of times at Roland Garros, and it seemed sure to end in a four-set runaway victory for Rafa. The first act was dominated by Auger-Aliassime. He broke Nadal in the third game of the match and used his serve—especially the wide one in the deuce court—his forehand, his drop shot, and his net game to win the first set. Nadal finished with his 109th victory roar in Paris. Auger-Aliassime finished with a crooked smile of appreciation—for the moment, for his opponent, and hopefully for himself—as he walked to the net to shake Rafa’s hand. But as far as pure sporting entertainment goes, it will be hard to top, inside or outside of tennis, in 2022.

The next few days in Paris are a nice French kiss for tennis fans. An aging, stubborn, driven, clay-court dynamo named Rafael Nadal will be playing a ...

The French Open is where you usually need to hit a dozen shots just to win one point and run twice as far, maybe three times, as you would in any other major. The French is where you run a 26-mile marathon in the early rounds to get ready for an Ironman Triathlon. He once used an entire news conference at the U.S. Open to introduce a young girl he had befriended through her parents and who had stunning singing talents for her age. If Nadal versus Djokovic was a gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Djokovic would win the draw and Nadal would take a bullet. He too is a decent guy who says and does the right thing most of the time — except maybe on the vaccine issue — and deeply respects the greatness of Federer and Nadal, while striving for his own legacy alongside those two. His other two losses at the French have been to Djokovic, who is currently No. 1 in the world and No. 5,000 in the eyes of people who think getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a good idea. At the trophy presentation, Nadal, his wound patched but still leaking blood, would take the microphone and tell the crowd, in his delightful Spanglish, what a great competitor Djokovic is and how many more major titles will be his. Djokovic, who just turned 35, is fast and flexible, a fighter who loves to win. Nadal thinks he has to win, and he usually does. Djokovic has won 30 of those matches, but the red clay at Roland Garros is a home court for Nadal. The red clay of Paris is Nadal’s house, and only Djokovic has been able to sneak in through a back window a couple of times to win the tournament. It is clear that great tennis, even at the quarterfinal level of this match, will be ours to behold.

Nadal beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in five sets after Djokovic blew away Diego Schwartzmann.

When I played not that well, I had a lot of troubles. “All respect and credit to Felix, he’s playing better and better. The players will also have their say, and Nadal has already stated he does not like playing at night, while Djokovic smiled: “All I will say is Rafa and I would make different requests.” The first battle will need to be won before a ball is even struck. But when Auger-Aliassime took Nadal into a fifth set – for only the third time at Roland Garros – it was all too much for Nadal senior to bear and he left. “He’s a great player without a doubt, one of the best in the world,” said Nadal after his 3-6 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 win. The gilded duo’s receptions were also in stark contract to each other; Nadal’s entrance and every point won were cheered to the rafters on Chatrier while, over on Lenglen, Djokovic was booed as he walked on to court and cupped his ear at a strangely hostile crowd.

Djokovic, the world No. 1, and Nadal, the 13-time French Open champion, will continue their epic rivalry on Tuesday in the quarterfinal at Roland Garros.

As Auger-Aliassime, pumped his fist after clinching the first set, 6-3, Nadal spent an extra few seconds working the line with his foot, taking an extra moment seemingly to prepare for the challenging places this match was going. Djokovic managed the challenge, making Schwartzman seem like a sparring partner who forced Djokovic to run and stay on the court long enough — a little more than two hours — but not too long. Nadal had no such concerns, though he struggled from the start of the chilly and breezy evening. Too cold and too damp, which makes the clay stick to balls, giving them the feel of heavy rocks on his racket. He was detained at the border and deported after government officials deemed his stance against vaccinations a threat to public health. Djokovic has tried to spearhead an independent players organization, the Professional Tennis Players Association, which he launched with a handful of other players in 2020. Nadal, who largely ended his 2021 season after the French Open because of a chronic foot injury, said finishing his career with the most major championships mattered little to him. Even more, it is a clash of two men whose personalities and trajectories, especially over the past year, have pushed them into different realms of the sport and public consciousness. On the court, they have captured each other’s most treasured possessions. Djokovic has refused to get vaccinated and questioned established science. Just a number. They have played each other 58 times, with Djokovic holding a 30-28 edge.

A rib fracture. Chronic foot pain. His own Uncle Toni coaching the fourth-round opponent. Nothing has been easy for Rafael Nadal this year, but still, ...

It looked like Nadal's bid here at Roland Garros was starting to slip away from him, but then he took charge, storming the next two sets. But Nadal wasn't ready to slip away into the shadows. Then there's the swipe of the hair, the tug on the shorts, the 14 or so bounces of the ball and the serve. If he were to lose, it would be a less painful loss because the player I work with would win, but I don't like to deceive anyone." Here at Roland-Garros, there's the addition of three taps on his shoes to remove the dusty clay -- first the right shoe, then left, then right again. Auger-Aliassime broke him twice to make it 3-1, and then 5-1, and took the first set. On Sunday on Philippe-Chatrier, he walked out to an incredible reception from the crowd. Just like in Melbourne, expectations around Nadal were lower than usual heading into Paris. But once Nadal was seen practicing on the clay, all the usual trademarks we've come to know from him were there. But then came a passing shot at the net, and the hop, skip and three fist pumps, and everything was back to normal. He went on to take the Mexican Open, and with Djokovic's schedule unclear at that stage, and Roger Federer absent, it looked like it'd be the year of Nadal. But across the next fortnight he stretched ahead of the rest to secure his 21st Grand Slam title. He returned for the Madrid Open and ran into a Carlos Alcaraz-sized wall in the quarterfinals.

After Djokovic cruised, Nadal labored to a five-set win, setting up a clash in the quarterfinals.

At that point, he later explained to a French broadcaster, he could take no more and had to leave to watch the conclusion on television. He produced huge serves time and again to fend off 16 of the 22 break points he faced. The victor’s next challenge could prove equally daunting: a potential semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish teen who beat Nadal and Djokovic in succession to win the recent Madrid Open on clay. After leveling at one set apiece, Nadal rounded into form in the third set, pummeling Auger-Aliassime with forehand blasts again and again. He has yet to concede a set in the first four rounds. Nadal didn’t cite the rib he cracked during a tournament in March and made only passing reference to “a tough process” with his foot, alluding to chronic pain in his surgically repaired left one.

Rafael Nadal advanced to a quarterfinal clash with Novak Djokovic after surviving a five-set challenge Sunday from Felix Auger-Aliassime at the French Open ...

In a match worthy of the French Open final, tennis legends Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will square off in a blockbuster Roland-Garros quarter-final on ...

6-2 6-3 7-6(4) Alex Molcan (Slovakia) 6-2 6-2 6-2

During Rafael Nadal's long illustrious career, he has played 112 matches at Roland Garros and won 109 of them.

"Here we are in Roland Garros. It is my favorite place, without a doubt. But, in that fifth set, he showcased his brilliance on clay. "[It's] a huge challenge and probably the biggest one that you can have here in Roland Garros. I'm ready for it." It continued his perfect start to the tournament in which he has yet to drop a set. On clay, the rivalry is more lopsided in favor of Nadal who has won seven matches compared to Djokovic's two. The two players, who have won 15 of the last 17 French Open titles, will meet again on Tuesday in the quarterfinals in what is one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.

Carlos Moya, who has coached Rafael Nadal since 2017, looks ahead to his charge's Roland Garros quarter-final match against Novak Djokovic.

I think he is saying that more in that sense, but I’m confident and I hope it’s not his last match in Paris. I have complete confidence in Rafa. I’m optimistic and positive in life in general, but in his case, I’m realistic. The most important thing is that he is aware that he has to play a good match and that he strikes the ball well. It was a close atmosphere and he played an amazing game. It’s the way I am, the way I approach life. A couple of years ago it was more tactical, but now it is all better established in his mind. We always expect the best of Nadal and I think he’ll be at his best tomorrow so that he can win. Last year we came here having won the final in Rome, and ended up losing. It’s clear that he’s playing a match where there’s a risk of losing. In 2020 we arrived in a different situation and he came through. Not too much, because it dilutes the message, but now it’s more reminders of aspects that have been forgotten. You have to play a high level of tennis, more than just tactics.