22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal of Spain will play in the Monte Carlo Masters from April 8 to make a comeback from injury. The organizers of this clay court tournament have given this information on Wednesday. Nadal will return after recovering from a hip injury.

Also Read: Most ATP Masters Titles in tennis history

Rafael Nadal hasn't been on the court since his Australian Open second-round loss to American Mackenzie McDonald, aggravating a hip injury. An MRI exam the next day revealed the extent of the injury. Moreover, the Spaniard missed the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open due to the same injury. He is set to return to the ATP Tour on his favorite surface having stepped up training in the last week.

The Monte Carlo Masters begins on April 8 and the tournament director David Massey is optimistic Rafael Nadal will play. "Rafa was the first player to sign up. He wants to play in Monaco and is giving himself every chance to be able to participate in this tournament he loves so much, and which he has won 11 times in singles, including a record eight consecutive titles between 2005 and 2012." Director David Massey said in a statement.

Rafael Nadal has won the Monte Carlo Masters 11 times, including eight consecutive titles from 2005 to 2012. The 116th edition of the Monte Carlo Masters is the first major European tournament to kick off the clay season. The 36-year-old Rafael Nadal uses the event as a key part of his preparations for the French Open. French Open will take place May 28-June 11.

Also Read: Most Grand Slam Titles in Men's Tennis

Meanwhile, the field will be led by Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. The other players include the Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Holger Rune, Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 116th edition of the tournament main draw will be organized on April 7 in the presence of Stefanos Tsitsipas. He won his second consecutive singles title last year.

The Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis and is held annually in Melbourne, Australia.

The tournament has been held since 1905 and has seen some of the greatest players in the sport compete for the title. 

Also Read: Most matches won in Grand Slams by any player | Top 10 List

In this article, we will brief you on the Australian Open winners list (Men).

Jannik Sinner claims Australian Open 2025 title

Jannik Sinner won the latest edition of the Australian Open after defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. 

With this, the Italian becomes the first man to retain the title since Novak Djokovic’s “three-peat” from 2019 to 2021.

Aged 23 years 163 days, Sinner is also the youngest man to win multiple Australian Open titles since Jim Courier in 1992-93.

Djokovic won the most titles

Over the last decade, the tournament has been dominated by Novak Djokovic who has won the tournament ten times in this period (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023).

The only other players to win the tournament in this time are Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka. 

Djokovic's record in the tournament is impressive, with his ten wins coming in a consecutive period of 11 years.

He has been able to defeat some of the greatest players in the world, such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, in the final of the tournament.

Djokovic also has two hat-tricks of Australian Open titles, once between 2011-2013 and then doing an encore from 2019-2021.

The Serbian’s first Australian Open crown came in 2008, when he came from a set down to beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.

Djokovic has beaten Andy Murray in as many as four Australian Open finals while he has also beaten Rafael Nadal in two finals.

Also Read: Tennis Stats: Players to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles without losing

Roger Federer won the title twice in last decade 

On the other hand, Roger has won the Australian Open twice in the last decade, in 2017 and 2018. 

He has been a finalist in the tournament five times in this period, showing his consistency at the tournament. 

While Stan Wawrinka has won the Australian Open once, in 2014. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final, who was the defending champion at the time. 

This win was a major upset and Wawrinka proved that he is capable of winning the biggest tournaments in the world.

It is interesting to note that, in the last decade, the men's singles of the Australian Open has been dominated by Swiss players, with four out of the ten titles won by either Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka.

While Novak Djokovic, another Swiss player, has dominated the tournament with 10 titles. This shows the strength of Swiss players in the tennis world, particularly on hard courts.

Australian Open Winners list (Men)

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer wrote an emotional letter on the retirement of his close friend Rafael Nadal. Rafa, 22 Grand Slam winner, announced his retirement only last month at Davis Cup final in Málaga, Spain.

Also Read: Oldest Grand Slam Champion | Top 10 List

Federer, 43, who retired two years ago after winning 20 major titles, wrote, “As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional. Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge,” 

Federer recalled their first meeting

Federer and Nadal had the greatest rivalry in the history of the sport. They first faced each other in Miami in 2004, where the Spaniard defeated then world No. 1 Federer 6-3, 6-3 in the round of 32.

Recalling their first meeting, Federer said, “OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype."

Federer praised Nadal's skills on clay and thanked him for making him a better player. He wrote, “We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud."

The 'Fedal' rivalry

Notably, the 'Fedal' rivalry has seen some of the most spectacular tennis matches, including the Wimbledon 2008 final, in which Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7. In total, they faced each other 40 times, with Nadal holding the head-to-head record 24–16.

“I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies." Federer added.

Also Read: Most Olympic Gold medals in Tennis history (Men's)

Nadal was on the same side on Federer's last match

In Federer's last professional tennis match, Rafael Nadal was on the same side of the court as the two paired up to play a doubles match at the Laver Cup in London in 2022. After the match, a photo of Federer and Nadal sitting on the bench, holding hands and crying, went viral on social media.

“And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career,”

The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw is on the table and Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will meet Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics, in Round 1. Nadal enters the tournament unseeded and is set to play his last Olympic games. There is a high possibility that he could play world No. 2, Novak Djokovic in the second round.

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024 Men's Singles Seed announced

Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career. 

The Serbian, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Ebden received a last-minute entry into the Games after Holger Rune announced his withdrawal from the men’s singles event on Wednesday due to his wrist injury.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 2, will begin his debut Olympic campaign against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. 20-year-old Alcaraz enters the tournament as the world ranked No. 3 and is the most in-form player in the world right now. He recently won both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon titles. 

Reigning Olympic men’s champion Alexander Zverev will face Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round. Zverev won gold in Tokyo after thrashing Khachanov in the final. He is also in form but has failed to clinch a single title this year after reaching three finals.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. But he pulled out due to illness. He is going to be a huge miss. Denmark’s Holger Rune and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz will also miss the Men's Singles. Two-time gold medalist Andy Murray pulled out from Singles before the seeding and said that he would only compete in the men’s doubles event. 

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Day -1 (25th July) LIVE Updates - Dhiraj Bommadevara stars for India with 681 points as India qualifies for quarter-finals in team and mixed events

Men's Singles Tennis draw for Paris Olympics 2024

The life of a professional athlete is one of precision. Despite the capacity for careful calculation, they understand there will always be elements beyond their control. This may be why many athletes lean just as much on their pregame rituals as they do on their months of preparation. Because in the seconds before the big match, tournament, or race, who wouldn’t want any help they could get? Let's take a look at the top superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024 that will help athletes get competition-ready.

Also Read: Most Olympic Games without any medal: Monaco, Myanmar and Bangladesh in top 30

Superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024

Nadal's on-court tennis rituals

Rafael Nadal is well-known for his many behaviours, both superstitious and routine. The on-court routine of Rafael Nadal has been among the most discussed topics in tennis. In almost every match, the Spaniard takes a sip of each of his two bottles and places them in a certain position. He meticulously arranges his water bottles so that the labels face the same direction. He also follows a strict sequence of actions, such as not touching the court lines and performing a specific routine with his shirt, hair, and face before serving a shot.

Naomi Osaka and her superstitions about bottles

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka wants her water bottles to be completely aligned. She believes most athletes have very strong superstitions. Like Nadal, her ritual revolves around the precise arrangement of the bottles, making sure they are facing the same direction and placed in a specific order.

Also Read: All-time Olympic medal tally: USA top with 2,629 medals; India placed at 58

Daniil Medvedev's eating habits

Daniil Medvedev also has the “crazy” rituals. He had one rigid routine that he followed before every match. Although Medvedev is pretty flexible when it comes to switching up his routines, he admitted there was one thing he always had to keep the same and couldn’t do even one second too late, which is his eating habits. Medvedev always eats exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes before his matches.

Gianmarco Tamberi's signature look

Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi known for his beard, which is half shaved, has been his signature style since 2011. Tamberi won the European Athletics Championships in Rome. After the competition, when he was presented with his gold medal during the awards ceremony, he stepped on the podium with his beard fully shaven. Tamberi has been ranked as the No. 1 high jumper in Europe for 135 weeks. He will carry the Italian flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Carissa Moore's husband wears her lucky socks

American surfer Carissa Moore, a five-time world champion, has a unique superstition that relies not on herself but on her boyfriend. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion firmly believes that her boyfriend's socks bring her good fortune on the waves.

Also Read: How many sports will there be at the Paris Olympics 2024? Which are the new ones?

Vashti Cunningham watches 'Kill Bill'

Vashti Cunningham, the American high jumper watches Kill Bill, the night before every competition. She also does Bible study along with her father before going out and getting ready for warm-up and jumping.

Novak Djokovic moved one win closer to capturing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title when he ended 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti's dream in straight sets and sought revenge on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz match will be the rematch of last year's final which the Spaniard won in five sets.

Also Read: Most Grand Slam finals in tennis history

If the 37-year-old Serbian wins a record-tying 25th major on Sunday, he will become the oldest champion in Wimbledon history. Djokovic, leading Alcaraz 3-2 in the ATP head2head series, will be eager to avenge that defeat and equal Roger Federer's record eight Wimbledon crowns.

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz Match Info

• Men's Singles Final: July 14, Sunday
• Venue: AELTC Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Ground
• Location: London, England
• Court Surface: Grass

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Form against each other

In the past two years against one another, Djokovic has three wins and Alcaraz has one. In their last match, on November 18, 2023, Djokovic won 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic has clinched nine sets against Alcaraz (64.3%), while Alcaraz has taken five. In 136 total games against one another, Djokovic has taken 77, while Alcaraz has claimed 59. When going head-to-head, Alcaraz and Djokovic have averaged 34 games and 3.5 sets in their four matches against each other.

Djokovic's 2024 performance

Djokovic has captured zero tournament victories on the year, with an overall record of 16-6. In 2024, Djokovic hasn't yet played a match on grass. He is averaging 27.3 games per match (33.2 in best-of-five matches) through his 22 matches played this year across all court surfaces, posting a 57.7% game-winning percentage. Djokovic has put up a service game-winning percentage of 82.1% on all surfaces (247-for-301 in service games) and a return game-winning percentage of 33.1% (99-for-299 in return games).

Also Read: Most Matches Played in Grand Slam

Alcaraz's 2024 performance

Alcaraz has won two of his nine tournaments this year, with an overall match record of 32-6. He has a match record of 7-1 on grass courts so far this year. Alcaraz has competed in 38 matches this year (across all court types), and 26.6 games per match (34.4 in best-of-five matches). The World No. 3 has won 35.6% of his return games this year, while also winning 83.5% of his service games.