Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer began their grass court seasons with straight-sets victories in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany.
The eagerly awaited French Open final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will resume on Monday after play was halted by rain on Sunday.
Rain interrupted the French Open final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, with Nadal leading 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-2.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal stayed on course for another final showdown in Rome as they conjured up straights sets victories Friday to reach the last four of the Masters 1000 tournament.
World number two Rafael Nadal has sensationally lost to Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in the third round of the Madrid Open.
Rafael Nadal claimed a seventh Barcelona Open title with a hard fought straight-set 7-6 (7-1) 7-5 victory over David Ferrer on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal will play David Ferrer in the final of the Barcelona Open on Sunday after an emphatic straight sets win over Fernando Verdasco in Saturday's semifinal.
World no. 2 Rafael Nadal continued his serene progress at the Barcelona Open after defeating No. 5 seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-2 6-2.
Rafael Nadal rattled off his 31st consecutive victory at the Barcelona Open after a comfortable straight sets win over Colombia's Robert Farah.
Rafael Nadal continued his domination on clay as he crushed compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-2 in the second round of the Barcelona Open.
Tennis star Rafael Nadal took time out before the U.S. Open to answer questions from iReporters.
Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in a one-sided Monte Carlo Masters final Sunday to claim his eighth straight title in the principality.
King of Clay Rafael Nadal began his defense of his Monte Carlo Masters title Wednesday with a routine 6-4, 6-3 victory against the Finnish player Jarkko Nieminen.
They already have the record for the longest final in grand slam history, and now tennis rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are preparing to make history again in an ambitious bid to attract the biggest crowd.
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal will continue his bid for a first title this year in Friday's semifinal clash against Andy Murray at the Miami Masters.
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal is still on course for his first Miami Masters title after beating the Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek 6-2 6-2 in the third round of the U.S. hard-court tournament.
World Number 4 Andy Murray talks to CNN special interviewer Jamie Murray about his "consistent" 2011 season.
Longtime rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal remain on course for a semifinal showdown at the Indian Wells Masters after both former world No. 1s moved into the last eight of the U.S. hard-court tournament.
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal and 16-time grand slam winner Roger Federer will face off for a place in the Australian Open final after the great tennis rivals won their last-eight ties on Tuesday.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer remain on course for a semifinal clash at the Australian Open after both men recorded straight sets victories in Melbourne on Sunday.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are used to meeting in grand slam finals, but the dominance of Novak Djokovic in 2011 means the two great rivals will feature in the same half of the draw for the first time in seven years at the Australian Open.
Top seed Rafael Nadal and second seed Roger Federer are both through to the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open in Doha after comfortable straight sets victories on Wednesday.
Rafael Nadal fought back from a break down in the deciding set to beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in their first round clash at the Qatar Open Tuesday.
Spain's top two ranked tennis players, Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, have confirmed they will not be playing in the 2012 Davis Cup.
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has crashed out of the ATP World Tour Finals after suffering his second group-stage defeat in London on Thursday.
Roger Federer swept aside his old adversary Rafael Nadal in straight sets Tuesday to qualify for the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Second seed Rafael Nadal has won his opening match in the ATP World Tour Finals in London, but the Spaniard took seven minutes short of three hours to edge past Mardy Fish in Group B at the 02 Arena.
Rafael Nadal is hoping to bounce back from his Shanghai shock by ending the 2011 tennis season on a high note.
Top seed Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Shanghai Masters Thursday to Germany's Florian Mayer, beaten in straight sets 7-6 6-3.
Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer have put Spain on the brink of reaching the Davis Cup final after winning their opening two singles rubbers against France in convincing fashion.
Serbia's Davis Cup champions hope that world No. 1 Novak Djokovic will be able to play in Friday's opening rubber of the semifinal against Argentina in Belgrade.
NEW YORK -- He is known for nothing if not mental toughness, but the legendary steel of Rafael Nadal has been put to the fire like never before in 2011.
NEW YORK -- Rafael Nadal does not normally do standup comedy but this was a moment he could not resist. Asked whether he would debut a new strategy for his U.S. Open final Monday against Novak Djokovic, Nadal went for the punchline: "I think I gonna do serve and volley," he said with a straight face, before rolling his eyes and smiling.
NEW YORK -- Normalcy returned to an abnormal U.S. Open on Friday afternoon. The sun roared over Queens, and the boldfaced names (led by First Lady Michele Obama) came back to the once-waterlogged Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. But the biggest sign that all was right in the tennis world again was the play of second-seeded Rafael Nadal, who surgically dismantled Andy Roddick in a quarterfinal that didn't last two hours. "It was evident pretty early that he was in full control of things," Roddick said.
Rafael Nadal had a scary moment Sunday when he slumped over in pain during a news conference following his third-round match at the U.S. Open in New York.
He doesn't always take medical time outs, but when he does, it's always at a very critical time in the match. He's Rafa Nadal -- the most mysterious tennis player in the world. "Stay Injured, my Friends!!" -- Vijay Kalpathi, Houston
CNN's Kate Giles talks to Rafael Nadal on how well he played in the 2011 French Open Championship.
History repeats itself as Rafael Nadal defeats Roger Federer to win his sixth French Open title.
A dozen thoughts on Rafael Nadal's 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 victory over Roger Federer in Sunday's French Open final:
CNN's Kate Giles interviews defending French Open Women's champion Francesca Schiavone.
PARIS -- You don't come to France these days thinking radical change. The heart of Paris is a museum piece, valued beyond measure for its old buildings and monuments and feel.
I must admit to you that I've followed your articles for a while and I see a bit of skepticism towards Djokovic's game. Second major in a row he is not your man to pick up the Grand Slam trophy. Although I am his compatriot I follow all the main players on Tour and it is undeniable that Nole is clear favorite for taking Roland Garros (and for most of former tennis stars). Why is so hard for tennis writers to accept the fact that he's beaten Roger Federer and Rafa for seven times in a row -- all in big tournaments? --Zeky, Belgrade, Serbia
SI.com's Jon Wertheim breaks down the men's and women's seeds at the French Open. Read on for the top first-round matchups, dark horses and predictions.
1. Clay King. Rafael Nadal won his first title since since the Japan Open last October, taking the Monte Carlo Masters Series event. Yes, it's clay-court season, which means that as a matter of ritual, Nadal knocks off any rust from his game, like granules of clay on his shoes, and begins to dominate. He's won the Monte Carlo title for seven straight years. Next it's on to Rome, which he's won five of the last six years. Then Madrid, where he's the defending champ. And finally, Paris, which he's won five times since 2005. Players looking for some consolation will note that Nadal was hardly at his best last week. He dropped a set to Andy Murray and was pushed in the final by David Ferrer. Of course, that Nadal can still win even playing his "B-level game" could just as easily kill confidence.
Japanese tennis players Kimiko Date-Krumm and Ayumi Morita talk to CNN about the quake that devastated their homeland.
A Best of Five after Nadal and Djokovic played as fine a best of three as you'll ever see ...
Do you think the Agassi-Williams-Clijsters career plan would work for Rafael Nadal? Take a year or so off from the tour and save yourself some wear and tear on the body. What would the pros and cons be? Steve, Kirksville, Mo.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- When we last saw Rafael Nadal, he was teary, sweaty and bitterly disappointed, limping off the court with a torn muscle suffered early in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open. His bid for a "Rafa Slam" spoiled.
SI.com caught up with Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim after Rafael Nadal's surprising 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 loss to David Ferrer in Wednesday's Australian Open quarterfinals.
This has been quite a tournament for the ethics of motivation. While a number of men have departed the Australian Open with their dignity in tatters, Venus Williams defined herself as never before.
World number two Roger Federer talks to CNN's Pedro Pinto about his friendship with Rafael Nadal and his targets for 2011.
Tennis icon Roger Federer talks about his rivalry and friendship with Rafael Nadal.
Related photo galleries for January 17, 2011 issue
Rafael Nadal stories in the SI Vault
CNN's Don Riddell talks to tennis superstar Roger Federer after his victory over Rafael Nadal in the ATP tour world finals.
1. Expect the unexpected: If one the requisite elements of a rivalry is unexpected outcomes, well, Nadal-Federer fills the bill here, too. Rafael Nadal came into their match Sunday in the final of the Barlcay's ATP World Tour Championship looking like a world-beater, ranked No. 1, defending champion of the past three majors and lording a 14-7 head-to-head record over his nemesis. Federer, though second in the rankings, had lost some of that aura in 2010. Yet Federer took out Nadal, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, with a blend of impeccable serving and opportunistic attacking. It was a vivid reminder of his gifts and his prospects for 2011. It was also eloquent reminder of why we love the oscillating nature of a rivalry.
Sports Illustrated will announce its choice for Sportsman of the Year on Nov. 30. Here's one of the nominations for that honor by an SI writer.
You say: "To his credit, [Roger] Federer has taken questions on this unpleasant episode. And absent more information, we ought to divorce him from [IMG's Teddy] Forstmann's colossally bad judgment [in betting on Federer's match against Rafael Nadal in the 2007 French Open final]." So, Jon, why don't you "divorce" him from this? You bring it up more than anyone. But you brush it off when Nadal admits his uncle coaches him? --Anna Brit, Towson, Md.
I'm not sure how many people asked for it -- at last count, I believe it was 18 -- but here we are in the middle of the tennis Silly Season. Just when you thought the U.S. Open was such a fabulous venue for closure, onward we go to Beijing, Shanghai, Venus and Oz.
1. Valley of Nadal: Spain's Rafael Nadal, the world's clear-cut No. 1, has won the last three majors he's entered, a formidable streak by any measure. He's also lost the last four "regular" events he's entered. The most recent defeat came this weekend in Bangkok, where he fell in the semis to countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who went on to win the trophy. The takeaway? The cynic will say it proves that top players "get up" for the Slams and compete less intensely at the ATP whistle stops, where the points haul isn't as great and appearance fees can blunt motivation. The truth is that many (most?) pros aren't wired to think this way. (Plus, if you've shlepped all the way to Thailand, are you really going to give a half-hearted effort?) A better interpretation, I think: Nadal is beatable, especially under the right conditions. Statistically this loss is just a footnote on Nadal's sensational year. But if I'm a middle-of-the pack player, I see a result like this and it fires me with
Rafael Nadal tells CNN's Candy Reid that he played his best tennis in the final to win the 2010 U.S. Open.
Some of the greatest players never adjusted, if they even bothered to try. Pete Sampras knew he was doomed before the French Open even started. Bjorn Borg couldn't get his mind around the madness of New York City. Ivan Lendl tried to embrace grass courts, but he wasn't fooling anyone. John McEnroe skipped the French Open six times, and Jimmy Connors barely acknowledged its existence until he was 26 years old.
CNN's Pedro Pinto goes head-to-head with tennis star Rafael Nadal on the links in Open Court's upcoming September show.
Five thoughts from the 2010 U.S. Open men's final:
Tennis star Rafael Nadal reflects on his second Wimbledon men's singles title.
Three quick thoughts on the men's final at Wimbledon on Sunday:
WIMBLEDON, England -- Three thoughts after the men's semifinals at the All England Club on Friday:
World number one Rafael Nadal talk about playing on grass ahead of Wimbledon.
Related stories for July 14, 2010 issue
SI.com caught up with Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim after Rafael Nadal defeated Robin Soderling in the French Open men's singles final, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
PARIS -- For five years, the world has been waiting for it to come into focus, the face of the man who could break the stranglehold No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Rafael Nadal have on the men's game. It almost looked like Novak Djokovic for a while, then Juan Martin del Potro, then Andy Murray, but always the picture went blurry again.
World tennis number three Rafael Nadal tells CNN about why he felt he lost last years French Open tournament.
1. Like clockwork: It's early May, which means they're running the Kentucky Derby, taking finals on college campuses and administering last rites for the Baltimore Orioles' season. It also means that Rafael Nadal is turning the rest of the field into Blinky, Pinky and Sue and gobbling up the clay-court titles. Yesterday it was Rome. Next it will be Madrid. Then, in all likelihood, Paris. For a player who's looked very mortal on hardcourts over the past year, Nadal is just a different animal with the granules underfoot. And who says Americans can't play on clay? In the doubles final, the Bryans won still another title, beating John Isner and Sam Querrey.
Nearly a year had passed between storms, and the drought was severe. Tennis so badly missed the tempest that is Rafael Nadal's game, a singular whirlwind of passion, form and aesthetics. How fitting that it struck Monte Carlo, province of tennis royalty since the late 19th century, for the Spaniard's name fits comfortably on the pages of history.
Judging by the reaction to his drug bust around the game, you wonder what Wayne Odesnik might say if pressed to provide information about his contemporaries on tour. There doesn't seem to be much sympathy for the 24-year-old South African-turned-American who has pleaded guilty to importing human growth hormone into Australia before the Brisbane tournament in January.
It was shortly after the conclusion of the 2005 Davis Cup, won by Croatia on the strength of Ivan Ljubicic's 11-1 record, when someone asked Roger Federer about the tall, bald fellow at the center of things. "He's very secure, you know," Federer said. "He doesn't really look like he's going to panic."
1. We quite often wonder whether Player X can win a big title. More often than not, the answer is "yes." And here's why: in tennis, it's fairly easy to catch lightning in a bottle. Get hot for two weeks, catch a few breaks with the draw, serve well on crucial points and ... presto. The latest exemplar of this is Ivan (Northern Iowa) Ljubicic. Rumored to be headed into retirement last fall, the Croatian veteran played the tournament of his life week at the BNP Paribas event in Indian Wells. First, Roger Federer fell unexpectedly to Marcos Baghdatis. Then Ljubicic "caught a gear" with his tennis and took out Novak Djokovic, a resurgent Rafael Nadal and then Andy Roddick to take the title. Ljubicic, 31, might not have been the marquee choice of the tournament or the sponsors. But his title ought to fire the rest of the field with some optimism. If he can do it, why not me?
A quick bag before Thanksgiving ...
A few thoughts as the season comes to an end ...
After an injury plagued year, Rafael Nadal is aiming to retain the top spot in men's tennis.
"I'm not a machine, and like everybody I have better moments than others," Rafael Nadal told CNN in Shanghai.
A few thoughts as tennis takes its annual autumnal tumble off the radar ...
A few thoughts as the season winds to an end ...
SI.com caught up with Jon Wertheim to get his impressions of No. 23 seed Robin Soderling's stunning upset of No. 1 Rafael Nadal at the French Open.
Five things we learned from the Australian Open men's final while most of America slept:
He stands 6' 1", weighs 185 pounds and can send a tennis ball pretty much anywhere he pleases. He's won on a variety of surfaces, collecting Grand Slam singles titles at a breakneck pace. He projects professionalism and grace and a distinctly European dignity. For all his success, he remains modest and grounded, uninterested in the usual trappings of modern celebrity, attracting attention only with his play.
How long until we see a major championship in Asia? Asia (China specifically) is such a large market for tennis to expand into that it seems like a wasted opportunity to not have a major there every year. -- Jeremy, Marietta, Ga
Nadal made a successful debut in Olympic singles Monday, overcoming numerous missed chances by sweeping the final four games to beat Potito Starace of Italy 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
If you're interested in having your son support you in your old age, here is my vocational advice to you: starting when he's in the crib, turn him into a left-hander, and then train him to become a relief pitcher. There's always a well-paying place for layabout southpaw relievers, well up into their athletic dotage. You see, while lefties moan that the world at large discriminates against them, our sinister brethren have all the advantages in sports whenever they directly face right-handers. Now an engineering professor named David Peters has come up with some basic statistics, which show what we righties always knew anyway, that baseball in particular is a gauche paradise. And that ain't no left-handed compliment.
Spain's Rafael Nadal dethrones five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer. CNN's Pedro Pinto reports
The emotional impact of Nadal's victory over Swiss champion Federer, as seen by TIME's reporter at the Centre Court
For Wertheim's audio roundup of today's matches, click here or scroll down below.
The "single" Spanish star has been quietly dating his hometown sweetheart
Let's start with the fallout from the men's final in Paris. There were a lot of questions about the Nadal-Federer match and its consequences. In the interest of economy, I'll condense to five thoughts.
Like skid marks at a crash site, tracks in the clay told the story of the 2008 French Open. Want to know why Rafael Nadal won his fourth straight title, humiliating Roger Federer in the final? All you had to do was look at the court. It was streaked and slashed, indicating the lengths Nadal had raced to retrieve balls. Forward, back, at odd angles, into the courtside geranium boxes.
As I write this, I'm 40,000 miles above ground hitching a ride on a private plane with tennis legend Pete Sampras. We're headed to Boston, where he'll be competing in the Outback Champions Series, and I'll be covering the tournament for television.
SI.com's Jon Wertheim breaks down the men's and women's seeds at the U.S. Open. Read on for the top first-round matchups, dark horses to keep an eye on and his predicted winners.
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