Also known as: Rafa
Rafael Nadal — former tennis player whose shower at Roland Garros and coaching staff appear in recent Grand Slam coverage.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… The German had been set up in the semi-final against the great Rafael Nadal in the 2022 French Open when he suffered a nasty fall that left him screaming in pain. …
‘I had the best and worst moments of my life here’ – ZverevJoy Online
… His chances of winning the most prestigious trophies were initially hampered by the presence of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and then by the emergence of Sinner and Alcaraz. …
Zverev beats Cobolli in tense Paris final for first Grand SlamJoy Online
Flavio Cobolli is two wins away from clinching a maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open and he is doing everything he can to make it happen – including using 14-time champion Rafael Nadal’s favoured shower cubicle at Roland Garros. …
Cobolli using Nadal’s shower in bid for French Open gloryJoy Online
… No sooner had 14-time champion Rafael Nadal waved goodbye than Rafael Jodar – the latest talent from the Spanish production line – announced his arrival. …
Meet the new Rafa planning to conquer Roland GarrosDaily Guide
… World number one Sinner was the heaviest favourite for the men’s title since the great Rafael Nadal in 2009, with no-one coming close to challenging him on the clay in recent weeks. …
Sinner Out Of French Open In Second RoundJoy Online
… He had ended Djokovic’s run of 14 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals by winning the deciding set of their quarter-final 9-7, and then beat a hindered Rafael Nadal in the Melbourne final. …
Wawrinka bids fond farewell to French OpenJoy Online
… With his generational rival Carlos Alcaraz injured, and most of the top 10 floundering, Sinner goes to Roland Garros as the heaviest favourite since the great Rafael Nadal. …
Sinner speeds into history with Rome winJoy Online
… He has joined Spanish great Rafael Nadal as the only other man to reach semi-finals at each of the first five Masters 1000 events in a season, and will face Russian Daniil Medvedev for a place in the showpiece final. …
Unstoppable Sinner breaks Djokovic record in RomeJoy Online
… Later, Poland’s Swiatek, who has teamed up with Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francisco Roig in an attempt to ignite her season, looked far closer to her best as she outplayed Japan’s Osaka. …
Resolute Gauff avoids Rome exit – but must improveJoy Online
… After splitting with coach Wim Fissette, who helped her win Wimbledon last year, Swiatek has teamed up with Francisco Roig, the former coach of the great Rafael Nadal. …
Swiatek drops just one game to set up Osaka meetingAlexander Zverev claimed his first Grand Slam title by defeating Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final at the French Open, 1,465 days after suffering a serious ankle injury on the same court in 2022 that required surgery and sidelined him for months.
7 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Alexander Zverev claimed his first Grand Slam title by defeating Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final at the French Open, 1,465 days after suffering a serious ankle injury on the same court in 2022 that required surgery and sidelined him for months.
7 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 in the French Open final to claim his first Grand Slam title after losing his three previous major finals. The 29-year-old German's victory makes him the first man other than Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz to win a Grand Slam recently.
7 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Flavio Cobolli, the 10th seed, defeated Canadian fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time. Cobolli revealed he is using Rafael Nadal's favoured shower cubicle at Roland Garros as part of his superstitious routine this week, after Nadal once told him it had been his shower for 14 years.
3 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Rafael Jodar, a 19-year-old Spanish player making his Grand Slam main-draw debut on the Paris clay, has emerged as a dark horse for the Coupe des Mousquetaires after rapid progress from being ranked 707th a year ago. Seeded 27th, Jodar will face German Alexander Zverev in Tuesday's quarter-final, with a victory putting him among the favourites for the title.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Top-seeded Jannik Sinner suffered an unexpected second-round exit at the French Open after a five-set loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, with the Italian struggling with injury-related issues including dizziness during the match in Paris.
29 May 2026 · Daily Guide →
Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka lost 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 to Jesper De Jong in his final French Open on Monday, though he will not officially retire until October's Swiss Indoors in Basel. Wawrinka, 41, called the venue witness to the best match of his life—his 2015 final victory over Novak Djokovic—and wore a memento of the iconic plaid shorts from that performance.
25 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Twenty-four-year-old Jannik Sinner won the Italian Open in Rome on Sunday, completing the career Golden Masters – all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles. Sinner is only the second player to achieve the feat, after Novak Djokovic, and has done so at a considerably younger age than Djokovic.
17 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Jannik Sinner recorded his 32nd straight victory at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, breaking Novak Djokovic's all-time record, by defeating Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 in the Italian Open quarter-finals to reach the semi-finals.
15 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff recovered from match point down to defeat American teenager Iva Jovic 5-7 7-5 6-2 in the Italian Open fourth round. Gauff acknowledged she must improve significantly to defend her French Open title beginning 24 May and match her run to last year's Italian Open final.
11 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Poland's Iga Swiatek defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1 6-0 to advance to an Italian Open fourth-round meeting with Japan's Naomi Osaka. Swiatek, who recently hired Rafael Nadal's former coach Francisco Roig, has not claimed a clay title since the 2024 French Open despite being the world number three.
10 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Jannik Sinner became the first man to win five consecutive Masters 1,000 titles after defeating Alexander Zverev in straight sets at the Madrid Open. The 24-year-old Italian has now surpassed the previous records held by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
5 May 2026 · Daily Guide →
Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 at the Madrid Open to become the first man to win five consecutive Masters 1,000 titles, surpassing Novak Djokovic's previous mark of four consecutive events. Sinner has now won Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Paris, and Madrid in his record run.
3 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Carlos Alcaraz, the world number two, will miss next month's French Open and the Italian Open due to a right wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open. The 22-year-old two-time defending champion said he is being cautious to assess the situation before returning to competition.
26 April 2026 · Joy Online →