Rafael Nadal Archives - Page 2 of 6

Nadal’s Barcelona return: When is he playing? What is his draw?

April 15, 2024

Rafael Nadal is set to return to action for just his second tournament this year.

After making his comeback in Brisbane at the start of the season following a year out, there have been several false starts for Nadal due to injury issues.

He missed the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Monte Carlo, but is now set to play in Barcelona, making his first clay appearance since he won the 2022 French Open.

When is Nadal playing his opening match? Who is he playing? And what’s happened to him so far this year? We run through everything you need to know about Nadal’s much-anticipated clay return…

When is Nadal playing in Barcelona?

Nadal will play his first-round match in Barcelona on Tuesday, April 16.

It has not been confirmed yet what time the match will take place, but Nadal is almost certain to play on the main court, which has been named after him since 2017.

Who is Nadal playing and what’s his draw?

Nadal, a 12-time champion in Barcelona, has been drawn to face 21-year-old Flavio Cobolli in the first round.

It will be the first meeting between the pair on the ATP Tour.

The winner will face fourth seed Alex de Minaur in the second round.

Nadal is unseeded as he is ranked at No. 644 in the world and is using his protected ranking to enter the main draw.

Nadal: I’m enjoying being here

Nadal’s return to the tour this year has not gone as planned.

It started positively in Brisbane as he reached the quarter-finals and had match points to beat Jordan Thompson before losing in three sets.

But since then his comeback has repeatedly stalled.

A muscle injury suffered in the defeat to Thompson forced Nadal to withdraw from the Australian Open and he then pulled out of the Qatar Open in February with a back problem.

He was aiming to return in Indian Wells and looked on course after facing Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition event in Las Vegas.

However, he pulled out of Indian Wells, saying he was not “ready to play at the highest level at such an important event”.

“I can’t lie to myself and lie to the thousands of fans,” he added.

The injury struggles continued as he pulled out of Monte Carlo. “My body just won’t allow it,” he said on social media.

It has been reported that one of the main issues for Nadal is pain when serving.

Nadal was cautious about his chances of playing in Barcelona, but is set to start his clay season as he builds up to the French Open and the Paris Olympics, which are played at Roland-Garros in the summer.

“I’m happy to be here, of course, Barcelona is a place that has brought me a great deal of joy, and where I have spent periods of my life,” said Nadal.

“[Real Club] Tenis Barcelona is my club, I’m really enjoying being here for a few days. Over the last two years I’ve had very few days on tour, so spending days here, seeing people, being able to practise with players is a joy.”

Nadal’s opening match in Barcelona will be his first competitive contest on clay since he beat Casper Ruud in the final of the 2022 French Open.

The serve will clearly be an area to watch to see if it is giving Nadal any problems, but Uncle Toni suggested his nephew would not play an event unless he was “100 per cent”.

Nadal has a 66-4 win-loss record in Barcelona, which is an ATP 500 event.

Stream the 2024 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+

Nadal named in Barcelona draw – but yet to declare himself fit to compete

April 13, 2024

It was then widely expected that he would make his comeback on the clay, only for Nadal to announce late in the day that he would not be taking part in Monte Carlo this week, a tournament where he has enjoyed tremendous success across his career and where he traditionally starts his clay season.

Nadal right to ‘not push himself’ but latest withdrawal ‘worrying’ – Wilander

April 4, 2024

Mats Wilander says Rafael Nadal is right to be cautious with his return because “there is no way” he would fight back from another injury, but admits “it’s worrying” that a French Open swansong is at risk.

Nadal, known as the ‘King of Clay’ after winning a record 14 Roland Garros titles, has battled injuries for more than a year, appearing in just one event since January 2023.

That was in Brisbane in January this year, when he reached the quarter-finals, but the 37-year-old then had to pull out of the Australian Open through injury and has not returned to the court since.

“I think that the best part of Rafael Nadal’s tennis right now is that he’s really trying. He’s very keen to come back,” said Eurosport expert Wilander.

“I like that he’s not pushing himself unless he’s feeling very close to 100% because if he injures himself past a certain point, he’s not coming back.

“He’s 38-years-old this year. He’s not going to come back. There’s no way. You can’t come back at 42. I think he’s playing it carefully.”

Nadal’s withdrawal was a blow to his hopes of featuring at Roland Garros for potentially the last time.

With two months to go until the clay-court Grand Slam gets underway, Nadal admitted that “my body simply won’t allow me” to compete in Monte Carlo.

Wilander admitted he is worried but remains hopeful of seeing the Spanish legend take to the Parisian courts again from May 20.

“I think the only thing that I would like to see from Rafael Nadal is win a few matches on clay before the French Open, and then please show up at the French Open,” Wilander added.

“If he is at 80% of his ability, I would love to see what he can do to a lot of the other guys, and I would just love to see him finish his career at the French Open.

“Of course, I’d prefer not to see him finish his career at all, but am I worried? Yes.

“At the same time, no, because he’s able to practice. Why? Because he’s more relaxed in practice than when you start playing matches.

“He knows this and it’s likelier to injure yourself in matches. But it’s worrying for Rafael Nadal fans because we really, really, really want to see him play one more French Open.”

Although Nadal’s ongoing battle with fitness is a cause for concern, Wilander pointed out that the Spaniard has more experience than most when it comes to organising his calendar to be at peak performance.

“The thing that Rafael Nadal has done better than any player ever in our sport is coming back from injuries,” Wilander said.

“He has literally turned his tennis career into a season. Very few years in the last 20 years has he played throughout the whole year and then had a pre-season and then start up again.

‘It’s a strange feeling’ – Djokovic opens up on missing rivalry with Federer and Nadal

“It’s often been six months on and then three or four months off. And then another three, four months on and then three, four months off.

“I think that no one can ever relate to the mindset that Rafa Nadal has because he’s got used to it. He knows how to handle it because that’s all he knows.

“He most probably would be a little bit surprised if you threw him into the tennis career and said: ‘You have to play five years in a row and you cannot take two months off at any point.’ He wouldn’t know what to do.

“But because he’s so used to taking two months off because of an injury, starting from nothing, getting ready again, I’m not worried at all about him being injured.

“I’m worried that he doesn’t get enough matches because of the confidence level. But I think once he goes to the French Open in three out of five sets, I don’t think confidence is going to make that big a difference.

“I think experience is going to make the biggest difference at the French Open. But taking time off, getting ready again, only Rafael Nadal knows how difficult that is, and he’s made it easy for himself because he’s so used to it.”

The French Open runs from May 20 to June 9, live on Eurosport and discovery+.

Stream top tennis action, including the 2024 French Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

When is the 2024 French Open? What’s the schedule? Will Djokovic and Nadal play?

April 3, 2024

As one of four Grand Slam tournaments, the French Open is one of the most prestigious events on the tennis calendar.

The clay major has seen some all-time great champions in recent years, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek, as well as plenty of epic matches.

The top stars from the men’s and women’s tours will be back at Roland-Garros this summer as they look to get their hands on the French Open trophy.

Eurosport and discovery+ will again be the exclusive home of the French Open in the UK, and here’s all you need to know about the Grand Slam, including when it starts, who should be playing, how to watch every match and what else is in store…

When is the 2024 French Open?

Qualifying for the French Open starts on Monday, May 20 and finishes on Friday, May 24.

The main draw starts on Sunday, May 26, as the French Open is one of two Grand Slams, along with the Australian Open, that is run over 15 days instead of 14 this year.

The singles finals will be held on the weekend of June 8.

Play starts at 10am UK time every day except for finals weekend, and there will be an evening session scheduled from 7.15pm UK time every day until the semi-finals start on Thursday, June 6.

French Open 2024 schedule

Monday, May 20 – Friday, May 24: Qualifying
Sunday, May 25: Men’s and women’s singles first round
Monday, May 26: Men’s and women’s singles first round
Tuesday, May 27: Men’s and women’s singles first round
Wednesday, May 28: Men’s and women’s singles second round
Thursday, May 29: Men’s and women’s singles second round
Friday, May 30: Men’s and women’s singles third round
Saturday, June 1: Men’s and women’s singles third round
Sunday, June 2: Men’s and women’s singles fourth round
Monday, June 3: Men’s and women’s singles fourth round
Tuesday, June 4: Men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals
Wednesday, June 5: Men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals
Thursday, June 6: Women’s singles semi-finals
Friday, June 7: Men’s singles semi-finals
Saturday, June 8: Women’s singles final, men’s doubles final
Sunday, June 9: Men’s singles final, women’s doubles final

When is the 2024 French Open draw?

The timings for the draw for the French Open has not been confirmed but it will likely be held on Thursday, May 23.

How to watch and stream the 2024 French Open

You can watch every day of the 2024 French Open live on Eurosport, eurosport.co.uk, the Eurosport app and on-demand on discovery+.

Enjoy the action ad-free on the Eurosport app and via eurosport.co.uk. Download the Eurosport app now for iOS and Android.

As well as coverage from around Roland-Garros, there will be expert analysis from on-site and in The Cube.

Who’s playing the 2024 French Open?

The top players from the ATP and WTA tours will all hope to be competing at the French Open.

The headline name on the men’s side could be 14-time champion Rafael Nadal.

Nadal has been troubled by injuries since the start of 2023 and missed the French Open last year after undergoing hip surgery.

He has said this could be his final year on tour and it has been predicted that either the French Open or the tennis event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is also played at Roland-Garros, could be his last tournament.

Novak Djokovic will be looking for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title as he defends his French Open crown.

Djokovic beat Casper Ruud in last year’s final to win in Paris for the third time in his career.

Highlights: Djokovic makes history by winning 23rd Grand Slam against Ruud

He is currently tied with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam wins in history.

Iga Swiatek will be the defending women’s champion as she aims for a fourth victory at the French Open.

The Polish star beat Karolina Muchova in the 2023 final and has looked unstoppable at times at the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina will all be looking to challenge Swiatek.

Katie Boulter is set to be the leading British contender in the women’s draw.

Stream top tennis action, including the 2024 French Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

When is the Monte Carlo Masters? Are Djokovic and Nadal playing?

April 3, 2024

It’s time for the clay swing.

The next couple of months will feature some of the biggest tournaments of the season as players build up to the French Open.

The first port of call for most of the top stars on the ATP Tour is the Monte Carlo Masters, which is one of three ATP Masters 1000 clay tournaments.

When and where is the Monte Carlo Masters?

The Monte Carlo Masters is played on clay courts at the Monte Carlo Country Club and is an ATP Tour event.

Qualifying starts on Saturday, April 6 and the main draw begins on Monday, April 8.

The singles final is held on Sunday, April 14.

Play starts at 10am UK time every day except for finals day, when the singles final begins at 2pm UK time.

Monte Carlo Masters 2024 schedule

Saturday, April 6: Qualifying
Sunday, April 7: Qualifying
Monday, April 8: First round
Tuesday, April 9: First and second round
Wednesday, April 10: Second and third round
Thursday, April 11: Third round
Friday, April 12: Quarter-finals
Saturday, April 13: Semi-finals
Sunday, April 14: Doubles final and singles final

Will Novak Djokovic play Monte Carlo?

The world No. 1 has had a rocky start to the year, losing in the Australian Open semi-finals and then suffering a shock defeat to Luca Nardi in the third round at Indian Wells.

Djokovic, who has been pictured practising with Holger Rune in Monte Carlo, has not yet hired a replacement for Ivanisevic.

Djokovic is into his 419th week as world No. 1 and this week will break Roger Federer’s record as the oldest No. 1 in history.

Jannik Sinner appears to be on the march to becoming world No. 1 after his stunning start to the year but can’t catch Djokovic in Monte Carlo as he has 360 points to defend from making the semi-finals last year, while Djokovic only has 90.

Carlos Alcaraz, who has slipped down to world No. 3, also only has 90 points to defend but is 1,080 points behind Djokovic.

There are 1,000 points on offer for the winner in Monte Carlo.

Will Rafael Nadal play Monte Carlo?

Rafeal Nadal’s potential clay swansong is set to start in Monte Carlo.

The 11-time champion has not played since making his return after a year out in Brisbane at the start of the season.

Clay remains Nadal’s favourite surface and is expected to be kinder for his body than hard courts.

It is still not known how much longer Nadal will play for. He will celebrate his 38th birthday in early June and has previously said this could be his last season on tour, which might mean a farewell at the French Open or the Olympics – but he has also not ruled out playing on.

Are Sinner, Alcaraz and Murray playing Monte Carlo?

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are both set to start their clay seasons in Monte Carlo.

Sinner and Alcaraz were the standout players across the Sunshine Double, winning Miami and Indian Wells respectively, and look the closest rivals to Djokovic.

Murray’s team have said it is “still not clear how long Andy will be out of action”, but there is a chance he could miss the entire clay season due to the injury.

Who is the defending Monte Carlo champion?

Andrey Rublev beat Holger Rune in last year’s final to claim the first Masters 1000 title of his career.

Rublev does not come into the tournament in the best of form, having lost two of three matches across Indian Wells and Miami.

Stream top tennis action, including the 2024 French Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

‘I will do my best’ – Nadal ‘striving’ to be ready for start of clay season

March 20, 2024

Rafael Nadal insists he will do his “best” to be ready to return for the clay season, but is wary about making predictions after a difficult start to the year.

Nadal, 37, made his comeback in Brisbane in January after missing almost all of 2023 with injury.

There were initial positive signs as he won two matches, but then he suffered a muscle injury in the quarter-finals and hasn’t played since.

The focus is now on getting ready for the clay swing, which starts in early April and culminates with the French Open.

“I will do my best to try to start the clay season, which is my goal,” said 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal .

“I am working for that and striving for that goal, but I don’t dare to say anything about what might happen because lately it has been difficult for me to make predictions, unfortunately.

“I’ve not stopped training at any time. I’m trying all the time. I feel fine, I just haven’t managed to follow the schedule I would have liked to. Hopefully things can change, but as you can imagine I can’t say because I don’t know myself.”

However, there still appears little certainty over Nadal’s fitness ahead of the tour switching to his favourite surface.

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m optimistic or not; I’m a realist. For the last year and a half or two it’s been impossible for me to compete, so the first objective is to try to compete and I’m going day by day,” he said.

Highlights: Alcaraz beats Nadal in Vegas exhibition

“If I had to be optimistic or negative, I probably wouldn’t even be trying. It’s a long time, I have a lot years and a very long career behind me. At the end of the day I try not to be one thing or the other, I try to go day by day, do the work I have to do to give myself opportunities and we’ll see how long we can try.”

Reflecting on his decision to pull out of Indian Wells, Nadal added: “The reality is that I didn’t feel ready to start playing a tournament at this level, with the little training background I had behind me at the level I needed.

“I didn’t want to start a tournament coming from where I came from, with no guarantee of being able to advance to at least the levels that I think I need to demand of myself to try and start a tournament.”

Stream top tennis action, including the 2024 French Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

Alcaraz, Sinner ‘already announcing themselves’ as ‘superstars,’ says Federer

March 15, 2024

Roger Federer says the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are “already announcing themselves” as “superstars” of tennis, but expressed his belief that the game’s young guns are still “recalibrating” their games as they vie for multiple slams.

The so-called ‘Big Three’ of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have – to date – hoovered up 66 majors between them, an astonishing testament to their dominance of men’s tennis since the early 2000s.

Federer retired in 2022 with 20 Grand Slams to his name in an emotional send-off at The Laver Cup, but Nadal – although struggling with injuries – and Djokovic are still active, and seeking out further accolades in the latter stages of their careers.

But it’s the next generation to whom the game will eventually belong, and Federer namechecked Alcaraz and Sinner as standard-bearers of this emerging group.

“I don’t like to put the pressure on these players because honestly aiming for 20 [major victories] was not something I did, Rafa did, or Novak did,” Federer told GQ.

He continued: “Of course you have the players that you think are going to win multiple slams. Somebody has to win slams and naturally they’re going to win them nicely and do it perfectly and they’re going to be the ones carrying the game and become the superstars of our sport, which some are already announcing themselves to do: [Carlos] Alcaraz, [Jannik] Sinner, and so forth.

‘Most difficult match of the year’ – Alcaraz on facing Sinner next at Indian Wells

“And there’s a lot of momentum right now also to see who’s going to be the next guy. So I think the next two to three years, they’re going to give us a really good idea because I think there are good players right now, but I still think they are recalibrating their game to understand: Okay, how can I beat the best in the business on their best surface?”

Federer was alongside Nadal and Djokovic for Team Europe at The Laver Cup for his retirement event, a direct contrast to the era-defining rivalry they had on court.

‘A crazy week’ – A look back at Federer’s emotional farewell at Laver Cup

Indeed, many still view the trio as interwoven – and Federer spoke about how much he keeps up with the fortunes of his former foes.

The Swiss said: “I mean obviously you’re aware when they’re in the finals or you’re aware when Rafa comes back or you’re aware when Novak breaks another record. It’s all good, you know? But I will not set my schedule aside, like, well, ‘this match I have to see’.

“But obviously I’ve followed it and I love to see that, especially Novak’s been going from strength to strength. It keeps on going. And Rafa obviously, I felt sad for him that he has not been able to play nearly as much or at all to what he wanted to do.

“I hope that he can do what he wants to do in the summer, because even though I have a good feeling for him, and I know he pulled out of Indian Wells and Doha and all that stuff, but I still am very hopeful that he can get back on the train and ride it.”

But does Federer miss playing competitively now he is retired?

“I get that question a lot, and I don’t miss it,” he said. “I really don’t. I feel really at peace.

“I think it’s also because I know that my knee and my body and my mind don’t allow me to be out there. Do I feel like, ‘Oh, I could hit that shot?’ Yeah, OK: Maybe I could right now.

“But I feel like I squeezed the lemon out. I tried everything I had. And I’m so at peace.”

Stream top tennis action, including the 2024 French Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

Nadal breezes past Isner to set up 'dangerous' Shapovalov rematch

May 11, 2022

Rafael Nadal is safely through to the third round of the Italian Open after beating John Isner 6-3 6-1.

After Isner squandered the opportunity to break midway in the seventh game, Nadal took control of the match and was able to comfortably breeze past the American in one hour and 16 minutes.

Nadal will play Shapovalov next in a repeat of their last-16 encounter last year which the Spaniard won in a thrilling three-setter, coming back from a set down and saving match points.

Roland-Garros

Djokovic ‘best in the world’ says Alcaraz despite Zverev comments

YESTERDAY AT 12:15

“I finished better than I started [against Isner] without a doubt,” the 21-time Grand Slam singles champion said afterwards in his on-court interview.

“At the beginning of the match I think I was not good for me. Even he had some chances on the return. Two break points and two not difficult balls.

“I was in his hands at that moment. Lucky he missed those couple of shots then I was able to hold the break.

“The match then changed with the first set in the pocket and with the first break of the second everything changed.”

On his match against Shapovalov, he said: “Last year [in Rome] was a joke. The match I saved against him I was super lucky. I know how dangerous he is and I need to play better than today.

“After a while without being on court it’s another victory. Now tomorrow is a chance to play against one of the best players in the world and another good test.

“I need to build again the things after a tough stop. That is what I am trying. To stay with the right attitude. Let’s see if I am able to make it happen.”

It was a closely-fought opening to the match and the first break point opportunities of the match arrived for Isner at 3-3, but Nadal was able to rescue both of them and it proved a turning point in the match.

There was more misfortune to come for Isner as Nadal sealed the pivotal break in the very next game after Isner hit a limp volley, which should have been a winner, into the net.

Nadal then reeled off four points in a row on his serve to wrap up the opener in 43 minutes.

With Isner looking flat, Nadal went a break up immediately in the second set when the American produced another unforced error to put the Spaniard in control.

Nadal had only hit one unforced error in the second set before going a double break up to make it 4-1 when Isner fired another forehand into the net. Nadal won the next two games, sealing the match with a vicious forehand winner down the line.

Shapovalov clashes with umpire and crowd in fiery win over Sonego

– – –

Stream the 2022 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+

ATP Rome

‘My body is like an old machine’ – Nadal laments ‘all the issues’

YESTERDAY AT 10:31

ATP Rome

Nadal, Ruud, Sabalenka – who needs a big week in Rome?

YESTERDAY AT 06:28