Rafa Nadal’s absence from Indian Wells saw the 22-time Grand Slam champion slip out of the top 10 for the first time since 2005 on Monday but the Spaniard will still be the “man to beat” at the French Open if he can get back to full fitness. Nadal was forced to skip the Masters…

MELBOURNE—World number two Rafa Nadal will be sidelined for six to eight weeks by the hip flexor injury he suffered during his second-round loss at the Australian Open, the Spaniard’s team said on Thursday. Nadal’s title defense ended bitterly on Wednesday as he slumped to a 6–4 6–4 7–5 defeat by Mackenzie McDonald, the latest…

MELBOURNE—Defending champion Rafa Nadal crashed out of the Australian Open second round on Wednesday after aggravating a hip problem during his 6–4 6–4 7–5 defeat to Mackenzie McDonald, the Spaniard’s latest entry in an injury-blighted history at Melbourne Park. Nadal’s elimination shakes up the men’s draw and puts a twist in the Grand Slam titles…

MELBOURNE—Defending champion Rafa Nadal dropped a set but prevailed in a battle of fitness against rising talent Jack Draper to reach the second round of the Australian Open on Monday with an unconvincing 7–5 2–6 6–4 6–1 win. Fellow lefthander Draper played superbly to level the match at a set all on a warm and…

Rafa Nadal said losing two straight matches was hardly the ideal preparation for his Australian Open title defense, but the world number two believes he had no reason to feel alarmed ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam starting in two weeks. Following an injury-ravaged 2022, Nadal lost his United Cup mixed team event opener…

TURIN, Italy—Rafa Nadal was eliminated from the ATP Finals as Casper Ruud beat American Taylor Fritz in their round-robin match in Turin on Tuesday, which also guaranteed that teenager Carlos Alcaraz would end the year as world number one. Spaniard Nadal needed to win the tournament to take the rankings top spot from compatriot Alcaraz,…

Rafa Nadal will return to competition at next week’s Paris Masters before taking his place at the season-ending ATP Finals, coach Carlos Moya said. Nadal has struggled with injuries this year, capturing his 14th French Open title while playing with pain-killing injections to deal with a chronic foot injury and pulling out of Wimbledon due…

Frances Tiafoe produced one of the biggest upsets at the U.S. Open after stunning 22-times Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal in the fourth round, while Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz battled past Marin Cilic in a late-night thriller on Monday. Home hope Tiafoe, 24, pulled off a 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 victory to hand Nadal his…

NEW YORK—Rafael Nadal overcame a horrid start and a bloody nose to beat Fabio Fognini 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 6–1 and reach the third round of the U.S Open on Thursday. The veteran Italian came out flying to build a set and a 4–2 lead as Nadal struggled to find a rhythm, raising the possibility of…

LONDON—Rafa Nadal’s hopes of completing a rare calendar year Grand Slam ended on Thursday when the Spaniard pulled out of his highly-anticipated Wimbledon semifinal showdown against Australian Nick Kyrgios with an abdominal strain. Nadal won the Australian and French Opens back-to-back this year for the first time in his career and was bidding to become…