Rafael Nadal

Nadal had claimed the 91-minute opening set in an epic tiebreaker, 10-8, and had clawed back from a deficit in the second set, with another tiebreaker ...

After a few minutes’ pause, Zverev returned to the court on crutches, Nadal beside him. “Very tough,” Nadal told his interviewer, seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander, reporting for Eurosport. “Very sad for him, honestly. He was playing unbelievable tournament.

Rafael Nadal will play for his 14th French Open title and 22nd Grand Slam crown after Alexander Zverev suffered a horrific right ankle injury during the ...

So all the best to him and all the team.” Soon a wheelchair was brought out and Zverev was taken off the court. He later came out on crutches and embraced Nadal, as the Spaniard patted his face in encouragement.

Rafael Nadal is into the French Open final after semifinal opponent Alexander Zverev retired from their semifinal with an injury.

“To be in the final of Roland Garros one more time,” Nadal said, “it’s a dream without a doubt.” Zverev rolled the ankle on game point for Nadal to force a tiebreak after Nadal won the first set 7-6 (8). The match was more than three hours old when Zverev screamed in pain and was taken off the court in a wheelchair. Rafael Nadal advanced to the French Open final after Alexander Zverev retired from their semifinal match with a right ankle injury in the second set.

After advancing to Sunday's championship match, Marca confirmed that the Spaniard would be taking a break following the tournament and missing Wimbledon. The ...

But the 36-year-old has since said he still hopes to be back but has learned that there is no guarantee because of his Mueller-Weiss syndrome. After a successful comeback this year, he picked up a rib injury and was then plagued by the foot problem at the Italian Open, just a week after making his return. After advancing to Sunday's championship match, Marca claimed that the Spaniard would be taking a break following the tournament and missing Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal reached the final of Roland-Garros for a record 14th time after third seed Alexander Zverev suffered a horrific-looking ankle injury deep in ...

He came back onto court on crutches and the match was done. The German then broke Nadal for the fourth straight time to go up 5-3. But serving for the set, he began with a double fault and though he led 30-15, he hit two more double faults to let Nadal back in again.

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.

On his 36th birthday, the Spaniard won by retirement and advanced to yet another Roland Garros final, where he'll look to become the tournament's oldest ...

When the shock of the injured opponent and the disappointment of winning by retirement wears off, Nadal ought to be considerably happier. This was heading for a five-hour match, so the fact that Nadal was able to get on and off the court in barely three hours ought to benefit him Sunday. In the second set, he was broken four times—the most he’s even been broken in a set at the French Open—and was lucky to stay alive.

Record 21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will take an extended break after the French Open and miss Wimbledon, Marca reports.

I am just enjoying every day that I have the chance to be here, and without thinking much about what can happen in the future. "I am old enough to not hide things or come here to say a thing that I don't believe," Nadal added. I have what I have in the foot, so if we are not able to find an improvement or small solution to that, then it's becoming super difficult for me.

Rafael Nadal has reached the final of the French Open after opponent Alexander Zverev was forced to retire injured.

He continued: “Difficult to say a lot of things today in this situation. Despite reaching the final, Nadal will not be satisfied with his game after keeping himself ahead solely on his endless fighting spirit and clutch play. After a short time, and as Nadal also went off court, Zverev returned to the court on crutches and saluted the crowd while his retirement was confirmed. By 5-4 to Zverev, eight of the first nine games of set two had been service breaks. For much of the first set, Zverev was on fire. After Zverev badly missed an easy volley at 3-6, Nadal pulled off an outrageous angled forehand passing shot winner on the following point.

Rafael Nadal advanced to the French Open final after Alexander Zverev injured an ankle and conceded. Nadal will play Casper Ruud for the title.

A trainer came out to attend to him, and Nadal walked around the net to check on Zverev too. The second set also was headed to a tiebreaker after another 1½ hours when Zverev tumbled behind the baseline and lost a point that allowed Nadal to hold serve for 6-all. “That’s why I was not able to create the damage that I wanted.” 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. So I wish him all the best and a very fast recovery.” The oldest champion so far was Andres Gimeno, who was 34 in 1972. He probably had no business getting to Zverev’s sharp volley, let alone fashioning that short of a response. Zverev crumpled to the ground, wailing in agony and clutching at his lower leg. 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. “He’s a perfect example of how you should behave on court: Never give up and never complain. The sudden end to a contest that was three hours old but not even through two full sets allowed Nadal to become, on his 36th birthday, the second-oldest men’s finalist in French Open history. “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.

RAFAEL NADAL advanced to the French Open final after Alexander Zverev retired injured.

"I would prefer to lose Sunday's final and get a new foot," he admitted. We will keep thinking about the things we need to improve and the desire is to continue.” I trust and hope to be able to return. But with his doctor joining him in Paris, he has managed to hold up and reach the championship match at Roland Garros. Nadal is back into another French Open final less than three weeks after questioning whether he would recover in time to play the tournament. Rafael Nadal has admitted he would pick his health over another French Open title after reaching the final in Paris for the 14th time.

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.

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal advanced to the men's French Open final on Friday, after opponent Alexander Zverev was forced to retire due to an injury.

Both players were escorted off the court while the individual was removed by security. On Sunday he will face Norway's Casper Ruud, who defeated Croatian Marin Cilic in the semifinal 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to advance to his first career grand slam final. The spectators gave Zverev a raucous ovation as he shook the chair umpire's hand and hugged Nadal.

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.

The 21-time Grand Slam winner reached a 14th Roland Garros final after Alexander Zverev was forced to retire from their semi-final clash on Friday when he ...

“If I am healthy enough to play, I like the competition… “And here I am. The 21-time Grand Slam winner reached a 14th Roland Garros final after Alexander Zverev was forced to retire from their semi-final clash on Friday when he turned his ankle during the latter stages of the second set.

Nadal skipped Wimbledon last year as a result of the injury, playing just two matches after his 2021 French Open semi-final loss before shutting down his season ...

"I trust and hope to be able to return. After his comments sparked retirement fears, Nadal clarified that he wasn’t planning to say goodbye and would just have to listen to his body as he was prepared to continue fighting. Rafael Nadal’s agent has claimed that the Spaniard will be trying “everything” to play at Wimbledon this summer after declining reports that he had already withdrawn from the tournament.

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.

Tennis took back seat at the French Open men's singles semi-final as the 25-year old German international suffered a horrific ankle injury.

Over three hours of tennis, and the amount of NOS left with the two would’ve been the envy of a franchise called Fast (sometimes Furious). Zverev’s injury, though, had taken everyone’s mind off Tennis. Even Nadal. Slide for a backhand beyond the markings on the right and then run to the extreme on the left for a forehand point. A 44-shot rally that seemed to go on forever. That was how tough it was to even intake those visuals. And everyone has a horrific look on their face. The game was over.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV injured his ankle and was forced to retire in his French Open semi-final match against Rafael Nadal.

“Novak had too many ups and downs, while Rafa was consistent and he absolutely deserved to win that match,” Ivanisevic said. Once Novak started using his backhand down the line more, the momentum in the second set changed, and then his crosscourt backhand became stronger as well. He was then taken off the court in a wheelchair and re-emerged on crutches to retire after three hours of play.

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.