Nadal

Rafael Nadal has taken an early lead in his Roland Garros semi-final clash against Alexander Zverev Friday, winning the first set 7-6(8) as he looks to ...

The injury brought an early end to a match that was on course for being one of the best of the season. The last retirement in a Grand Slam semi-final or final came at the 2018 US Open, when Nadal retired against Juan Martin del Potro after the second set, with the Argentine leading their semi-final clash 7-6, 6-2. Of course for me, as everyone knows, to be in the final of Roland Garros for another time is a dream, without a doubt. Nadal then saved four set points in the tie-break, battling back from 2/6 to clinch a mammoth first set after one hour and 31 minutes. The intensity did not drop in a pulsating second set that reached another tie-break before a match that promised to become the best of the year was cruelly truncated. He held four set points in a dramatic first-set tie-break before Nadal produced a jaw-dropping combination of offense and defense to claim the opener.

'He's crying': French Open epic rocked by sickening injury as Nadal reaches final.

To play him in a Grand Slam final will be great. A blistering forehand pass gave him the opener on a sixth set point. In a rollercoaster, 91-minute first set, Zverev broke in the opening game before Nadal levelled at 4-4. I have been there in the small room with Sascha and to see him crying like that -- I wish him all the best.” It’s one of the biggest challenges on the tour when he’s playing like he did today.” He was playing an unbelievable tournament and he’s a very good colleague on the tour,” said Nadal.

Zverev fell heavily and twisted his ankle at the end of the second set during the semi-final on Saturday and had to be helped off the court in a wheelchair.

Nadal, after taking the first set 7-6 (8), was up against it once more in the second. The world number three yelped in pain and Nadal rushed around the net to check on his opponent as he was attended to by medical staff. - Nadal will take on Casper Ruud, who became the first Norwegian to reach a grand slam final after defeating Marin Cilic in the other semi-final

The legend's path to the final was cleared after Alexander Zverev crumpled to the ground, wailing in agony ...

The second set also was headed to a tiebreaker after another 1 1/2 hours when Zverev tumbled behind the baseline and lost a point that allowed Nadal to hold serve for 6-all. A trainer came out to attend to him, and Nadal walked around the net to check on Zverev, too. Later, an errant backhand let Nadal break for the first time, making it 4-all and sending red-and-yellow Spanish flags flapping in the stands. The oldest champion so far was Andres Gimeno, who was 34 in 1972. “That’s why I was not able to create the damage that I wanted.” So I wish him all the best and a very fast recovery.” The crowd gave him a standing ovation. “He's a perfect example of how you should behave on court: Never give up and never complain. His black outfit, arms and legs caked with rust-colored clay, Zverev was helped up by a trainer, then taken away from the court in a wheelchair. Zverev crumpled to the ground, wailing in agony and clutching at his lower leg. Now he will try to become the oldest champion at a tournament he’s already won a record 13 times, facing first-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud on Sunday. “Even if for me it’s a dream to be in the final of Roland Garros, of course that way is not the way that we want it to be.

Alexander Zverev's French Open campaign has ended in pain and agony after he sustained an injury during his semi-final match against Rafael Nadal.

Under these conditions (with increased humidity) it was even more difficult for me to put him away.” Zverev refused to surrender and was going toe-to-toe with Nadal until the moment he twisted his ankle as he sprinted to retrieve a shot on his forehand and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair. Seeing him cry like this is a tough moment.” “It was a super tough match. With the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier shut due to rain in the French capital, and Nadal struggling to put enough spin on his shots, he failed to hold serve throughout the second set as Zverev raced to a 5-3 lead. Of course being in the final of Roland Garros is a dream without a doubt but at the same time that it finishes that way is tough.

Spaniard celebrates his 36th birthday by reaching another RG final, but not in the way he was hoping to get there.

I played, I fighted, I did all the things possible to give myself at least a chance to be where I am. “And here I am. That injury sidelined him for weeks leading up to Roland-Garros, and he had been approaching his best level once again when the foot became a factor again.

Rafael Nadal is feeling good after spending nearly 12 hours on court over the course of his past three matches at Roland Garros 2022.

"So with that conditions, I was not able to push him back. His coach, Carlos Moya, was spotted enjoying the open air as he scouted Nadal's potential final opponents. "My ball was not bouncing as usual here, no?" "He started the match playing amazing, honestly. Have been a lot of up-and-downs during the match, but a good level of tennis with great points. "Of course today the conditions have been very hot, super humid.

Rafael Nadal was taking an out-of-the-box approach to gain any edge he could before Alexander Zverev went down with a sickening injury.

Nadal was gesturing to the sweat on his hands. “It was a very tough match. I had to do a lot of surviving. “It’s not easy to talk about. Nadal was struggling big-time before Zverev went down. The humid conditions didn’t help.

Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud will go head-to-head on Sunday in the men's singles final at Roland-Garros.

6-7 (8) 7-6 (4) 6-2 7-6 (0) 6-1 4-6 7-6 (2) 6-3 Holger Rune (Denmark) 6-2 6-7 (7) 1-6 6-4 6-3 7-6(8) 6-6 (walkover) 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6(4)

With a win in Sunday's French Open final, Rafael Nadal will claim his 22nd Grand Slam singles title. Here's a look at some of the other significant numbers ...

21: The number of Grand Slam singles titles Nadal has won entering Sunday’s final, putting him one ahead of Roger Federer and Djokovic for the men’s record. 24: The number of matches Nadal has won over Federer in his career, against 16 losses. 209: The number of weeks Nadal has spent as the ATP Tour’s top-ranked singles player, the sixth-best figure ever. 0: The number of times Nadal has lost in a French Open final. 7: The number of events Nadal has played in 2022, already matching his totals from 2020 and 2021. 13: Nadal’s number of singles titles at the French Open heading into Sunday, a men’s record for an individual Grand Slam tournament. Combined with his prize money, that made him the world’s fifth-highest-paid tennis player last year. 8: The number of times Nadal has played on his birthday at Roland Garros, including Friday, when he turned 36. $1.05 million: The retail price for Nadal’s signature watch with Richard Mille when it was first introduced in 2020. $23 million: Nadal’s annual earnings off the court from endorsements, appearances, memorabilia and licensing fees, according to Forbes estimates. That makes Nadal the heavy favorite. It might have been a surprise, then, that it was his opponent—third-seeded Alexander Zverev—who retired from the match with an injury, and that Nadal emerged with a victory.

Casper Ruud is preparing for “the greatest challenge there is in this sport” after setting up a Roland Garros final against idol Rafael Nadal.

If I like to play tennis and if I can and I can handle to keep playing, I keep playing because I like what I do. ? ? Won He's a great guy, and he has a great family,” Nadal said. First of all in terms of a friend, he has a great character.

A tactical analysis ahead of the men's singles final at Roland-Garros 2022.

When the points go past eight shots, he’s still good, winning 112 and losing 90, at 55 per cent. As you would expect for someone who’s in the final, Ruud also comes out on top in the three categories. For a start, that’s where the majority of points are won and lost anyway, even on clay.

Injury-ravaged Spaniard has fought hard to reach final at Roland Garros and will be a tough foe for Norway's Casper Ruud.

In recent years, as men’s tennis has looked for players to follow Nadal and his rivals, many of Ruud’s peers have received so much more hype than him. Nadal’s fighting spirit, his composure under pressure and his ability to elevate his level in tight situations have been the bedrock of his game but it is astonishing he is able to achieve this time and time again. He will not only have to emotionally adapt to playing in a grand slam final for the first time but to also staring down the legend across the net. Not for Nadal. Here he is chasing a record-extending 22nd grand slam title, another significant moment in tennis history. In his quarter-final against Novak Djokovic, the stakes were so high that every second of the match was important. In his fourth-round match against Felix Auger Aliassime he did not look like himself as they went to a tense fifth set.

Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud may be facing off for the first time in Sunday's championship match at Roland Garros, but that doesn't mean the pair don't know ...

The Ruud forehand in particular has developed into one of the most fearsome weapons on Tour, and the Norwegian will need it to fire if he wants to make a dent in the Nadal defence. A successful outcome for Nadal would also represent the first time he has completed the Australian Open- Roland Garros double in a calendar year. Although Ruud’s longest match of the tournament was his opening three-hour, 49-minute win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the Norwegian has spent 18 hours and two minutes on court in Paris, just six minutes fewer than Nadal overall. Ruud’s strong displays on clay have brought him seven tour-level titles on clay, but he is yet to lift a trophy above ATP 250 level. Should he win, Nadal will draw level with current Tour leader Carlos Alcaraz’s four titles for 2022, having clinched trophies in Melbourne and Acapulco alongside his Australian Open triumph. [It’s] not a big surprise at all." To finally play him in a Grand Slam final will be a special moment for me. "Physically I'm OK," said Nadal in his press conference following the Zverev match. So, it is going to be a fun one hopefully.” "Normally my problem is not the physical performance…Of course today the conditions have been very hot, super humid. Hopefully a little bit for him as well. “But more than [anything], as I always say, I like to see [a] good person achieving his dreams.

The 36-year-old 21-time Grand Slam champion reached his 14th French Open final after Alexander Zverev suffered a horrific right ankle injury during their ...

Still, he plans to take some time off. “In that sense it’s not their fault what’s happening in this moment with the war.” Zverev, the world No. 3, left the court Friday in a wheelchair and returned on crutches, meaning his status for Wimbledon is also in the air.

Rafael Nadal will be after his 14th French Open and 22nd grand slam title overall when he faces first-time slam finalist Casper Ruud in the final.

"I will need to play my best tennis ever," said Ruud, who never had been past the fourth round of a major until this week. "I like to play in the best stadiums of the world and feel myself, at my age, still competitive. He's playing for his 22nd; I'm playing for my first. Means a lot to me." So that's it." The 21 grand slam titles.

Rafa Nadal is 13 years older than Casper Ruud. But Nadal is sitting on 13 French Open titles. Who will win when the two meet in the French Open final on ...

There would be no finer way of showing it than to beat Nadal on Sunday. He also has a very uncomplicated game, a good serve, excellent groundstrokes and superb movement, which should ensure he doesn't let the occasion hit him too badly. The only contrast is the venom of his forehand, which can cause real damage, as Cilic found out in the semis, when 35 winners flew past him. Had the match gone on -- and proceeded at the same speed - it might have lasted five or six hours. It would be a massive surprise if he doesn't. At 36, can Nadal win yet again or will Ruud grasp his chance of glory?