In a highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash, the previously unbeaten West Coast Fever succumbed to their first loss of the season, falling 76-65 to the Melbourne Vixens at RAC Arena on Sunday.
Despite an impressive performance from Jhanielle Fowler-Nembhard, who scored 41 goals from 43 attempts, the Fever were unable to overcome the combined efforts of the Vixens’ Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin, who scored 45 and 22 goals respectively. The Fever’s defeat came before their largest ever home crowd of more than 11,000 fans.
The Melbourne Vixens arrived in Perth determined to bounce back from their tough loss to the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Round Six. Their hunger to dethrone the undefeated Fever was evident from the opening whistle.
The Vixens executed a flawless game plan, capitalizing on uncharacteristic errors from the Fever. Defensive stars Emily Mannix and Rudi Ellis were instrumental in shutting down Fowler-Nembhard, while Kiera Austin’s exceptional performance in the GA position proved pivotal in securing the victory. Austin’s impressive stats—104.5 Nissan Net Points, 16 goal assists, 17 center pass receives, 22 feeds, and shooting at an impressive 95 per cent, underscored her critical role in the triumph.
“We worked really hard in training this week. I think we were all a bit disappointed in what we wanted to put out there (last week against the Lightning), and when you do the work, the results come,” said MVP Austin post-match.
From the start, the Vixens set the tone with clever play and speedy ball movement. Emily Mannix made a statement early with a spectacular intercept and multiple deflections, while Kiera Austin was strong against Sunday Aryang, scoring nine from 10 in the opening quarter. Despite Fran Williams’ electric defense for the Fever, which initially helped them to a 22-19 lead at quarter time, the Vixens’ resilience shone through.
A terrific second-quarter surge saw the Vixens seize control, with Austin continuing her dominant performance, amassing 44.5 Nissan Net Points for the quarter. Austin and Garbin executed flawless screens and rotations, keeping the Fever defenders on their toes. Emily Mannix and Rudi Ellis were clinical in defense, forcing turnovers and ultimately sending Shanice Beckford to the bench. By half-time, the Vixens held a six-goal lead (42-36).
In the second half, the Fever showed renewed vigor, lifting their pressure and chipping away at the scoreboard. However, the Vixens remained composed, sticking to their game plan and gradually widening their lead. Garbin’s seamless play and Austin’s consistent feeding under the post left the Fever’s defense in disarray. The Vixens’ defensive pressure disrupted the Fever's attacking flow, and despite intense collisions and physical play, they maintained their lead, heading into the final quarter with an 11-point advantage.
The Fever made several changes in a bid to orchestrate a comeback in the final quarter, but the Vixens' starting lineup remained steadfast. The Fever managed to narrow the gap with clutch Super Shots from Fowler-Nembhard, but the Vixens’ composure and Garbin’s offensive rebounds extended their lead.
PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray has died aged 30 after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The two-time Tour champion withdrew from the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas during his second round on Friday due to illness.
Murray, who won his second title at this year's Sony Open in Hawaii, passed away on Saturday as the Tour confirmed the news through an organisational statement.
"We were devastated to learn – and are heartbroken to share – that Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words," wrote Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
Jofra Archer may not immediately return with the crashing impact he previously had on England, but Jos Buttler is looking forward to utilising the fast bowler after his lengthy injury lay-off.
Rapid pacer Archer capped his first England performance in over a year with two wickets as England secured a 23-run victory over Pakistan in their T20I at Edgbaston.
With the upcoming T20 World Cup on the horizon, England captain Buttler was delighted to have Archer back in the fold – but warned his workload must be managed.
"I thought he was brilliant; you can see the emotion, taking wickets again, is fantastic," said Buttler, who plundered 84 off just 54 deliveries in the first innings to set the tone.
"He's not just going to be the Jofra Archer of old straight away, but a really positive performance.
"It's absolutely trying to get overs into Jofra but looking after him as well. I thought the whole bowling group was brilliant."
Buttler's knock, which included eight fours and three sixes, marked the second-highest score by an England captain in a T20I, behind Eoin Morgan's 91 against New Zealand in 2019.
On his own performance, Buttler added: "You always want to be playing well. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well, which is great."
Pakistan appeared to be setting their chase of 184 up well as Babar Azam crafted a fine 32, along with Fakhar Zaman's quickfire 45 off just 21 balls.
Yet the Pakistan captain fell lbw to Moeen Ali, with Fakhar then holing out off Liam Livingstone to Harry Brook in the deep as the visitors unfurled in Birmingham.
"Mostly we are flexible and everyone knows their role," Babar said after the defeat. "Before the series, we decided to go with these roles, so we're clear.
"The way Fakhar dominated after the early wickets fell. I think if me and Fakhar had batted for four or five more overs, then we could have won."
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek are the favourites in their respective draws to triumph at the French Open.
That is according to Stats Perform's Win Probability Model, which saw Swiatek regain her Roland-Garros crown in 20 per cent of simulations, ahead of nearest challenger Elena Rybakina (nine per cent).
The Pole is aiming to become the third player in the Open Era to win the women's singles title at Roland-Garros for three consecutive years, after Monica Seles (1990-92) and Justine Henin (2005-07).
Swiatek claimed a third women’s singles title at Roland-Garros from five appearances in the main draw at the event. In the Open Era, only Margaret Court (three out of four, 75 per cent) holds a better title win rate from main draws entered at the tournament.
In the men's competition, Sinner is the narrow favourite in Stats Perform's predictions, with his 13 per cent chance just clear of Novak Djokovic's 10.
Sinner has the highest winning percentage of any player so far in 2024 (93.3 per cent, 28-2), though third-favourite Carlos Alcaraz still has a six per cent likelihood of winning in Paris.
World number three Alcaraz has yet to reach a French Open final, but is the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the round of 16 at seven consecutive majors.
Meanwhile, Djokovic is out to overtake Court's record of 24 majors and become the outright leader for grand slam titles across men's and women's singles events.
Aged 36 years and 20 days, Djokovic became the oldest winner of the men's singles at Roland-Garros in the Open Era when he triumphed last year.
The Boston Celtics were indebted to Jrue Holiday after they moved one win away from reaching the NBA Finals with Saturday's victory against the Indiana Pacers.
Holiday converted a three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, then made a game-saving steal as the Celtics overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Pacers 114-111 for a 3-0 Eastern Conference finals lead.
Indiana's Andrew Nembhard seemed set to claw the Pacers back into Game 3 late on, yet Holiday stepped across for a "trademark steal" to guide his side over the line.
"That's a trademark steal that he always gets with the inside hand," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Holiday.
"He gets that a lot usually when a guy is coming down the sideline, but he got it in transition. He made a big-time play."
As Nembhard looked to cut inside the court, Holiday suggested he always knew what was coming.
"He's a right-hand driver," the Celtics hero said after the game, "and he'd been very, very aggressive all night."
Nembhard managed 32 points and nine assists but even that brilliance was not enough to outsmart one of NBA's best defensive players.
"I was trying to get a shot up," said Nembhard. "He got in front of me. I lost the ball, slipped. Turnover."
Jayson Tatum impressed for Boston with 36 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and no turnovers in 44 minutes, yet he put all the focus on the match-winning Holiday.
"I mean, can't speak highly enough about Jrue," said Tatum. "The ultimate teammate competitor, obviously a champion, wasn't at shootaround today, he was sick.
"Dealing with chills and stuff like that. And we've all been there, how tough that is, to fight through it, and for him to come out there and lay it all on the line for us, make the game-winning play essentially, especially on the defensive end.
"Jrue is just a big-time player, and he made a tremendous play."
The Celtics can clinch their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons with a win in Game 4 on Monday in Indianapolis.
Jose Ramirez capped a four-run fourth with a two-run homer and the Cleveland Guardians extended their winning streak to eight, 4-3 over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Cleveland did all its scoring in the fourth against Jose Soriano, who walked Estevan Florial to open the inning. After Bo Naylor struck out, Bryan Rocchio and Tyler Freeman singled to make it 1-0. After another strikeout and a wild pitch added another run, Ramirez connected for his 15th home run of the season and sixth in eight games.
He’s tied for fourth in the majors in home runs and has an MLB-leading 51 RBIs.
Taylor Ward’s three-run homer in the bottom of the inning would be the end of the scoring.
Tanner Bibee allowed those three runs and six hits in six innings with six strikeouts. Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis each pitched one inning before Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for his 16th save.
The Guardians’ eight-game streak is their longest since a 22-game run in 2017 - the second-longest in major league history.
The last-place Angels lost for the 18th time in 24 home games.
Streaking Royals outlast Rays
Nelson Velazquez homered and delivered a tiebreaking RBI double to ignite a three-run 11th as the Kansas City Royals won their eighth straight game, 7-4 over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Velazquez doubled home automatic runner Freddy Fermin to put the Royals on top and scored on Adam Frazier’s infield single. Maikel Garcia added a run-scoring single for a 7-4 advantage.
Four Kansas City relievers combined to allow one unearned run over the final 4 2/3 innings with former Tampa Bay pitcher Nick Anderson pitching the 11th for his first save of the season.
The Royals moved a season-high 15 games over .500 with their first eight-game winning streak since capturing nine in a row in July 2017.
Jonathan Aranda homered for Tampa Bay, which went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position and lost its season-high sixth straight.
Red-hot Judge homers again as Yankees continue roll
Aaron Judge went deep for the fourth straight game and Marcus Stroman pitched six scoreless innings to lead the scorching New York Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Judge took Dylan Cease deep in the first inning with one out after Anthony Volpe led off with a single for his 17th home run, tied for the major league lead.
Over his last 19 games, Judge is batting .422 (27 for 64) with 11 home runs, 20 RBIs and 22 runs to help the Yankees win 15.
Stroman gave up just three hits with one walk and five strikeouts and Clay Holmes worked a perfect ninth for his 15th save.
For the first time in franchise history, Yankees starters have thrown at least five innings and allowed two or fewer runs in 13 straight games.
Fernando Tatis Jr. homered for the Padres, who dropped their fifth straight at home.
Jrue Holiday converted a three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, then made a game-saving steal as the Boston Celtics overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 114-111 for a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night.
The Celtics can clinch their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons with a win in Game 4 on Monday in Indianapolis.
Jayson Tatum matched his playoff career high with 36 points to go with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Jaylen Brown added 24 points and Al Horford had 23 points with seven 3-pointers to help Boston win its sixth straight playoff game and improve to 5-0 on the road.
Andrew Nembhard scored a career-high 32 points, but Holiday, who was questionable before the game due to an illness, stole the ball from him with 3.3 seconds remaining and Indiana down 112-111.
Indiana had a chance to tie the game but Aaron Nesmith's 3-pointer was off the mark.
T.J. McConnell had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam added 22 points apiece for the Pacers, who played without All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring).
His presence was sorely missed as the Celtics closed the game on a 13-2 run to send Indiana to its first loss in seven postseason home games.
The teams combined to make six 3s in the fourth quarter, with Horford’s seventh of the night drawing Boston within 111-109 with 1:12 to play. Holiday then converted his 3-point play to give the Celtics their first lead since early in the second quarter.
Mason Marchment scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Jake Oettinger made it stand up with 28 saves as the Dallas Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 to even the Western Conference final at a game apiece on Saturday night.
Marchment deflected a shot that went through the legs of Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais and bounced on the ice past Stuart Skinner at 3:41 of the final period. It was Marchment’s first goal since the playoff opener on April 22.
Jamie Benn opened the scoring for Dallas 3:39 into the game and Connor Brown answered for Edmonton just 44 seconds later.
Esa Lindell tallied into an empty net with 2:03 remaining.
The series shifts to Edmonton for Game 3 on Monday night.
Stuart Skinner stopped 22 shots as the Oilers were held to fewer than two goals for just the second time in 14 playoff games. The other was a 1-0 win over Los Angeles in Game 4 of the first round.
Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl was held pointless, ending his playoff-opening point streak at 13 games. That was one short of matching Mark Messier’s franchise record set in 1988.
Dallas failed to capitalise on its only power play of the game after going 0 for 5 in Game 1. That extended the Oilers’ streak of 20 penalties killed over six-plus games since giving up a power-play goal in Game 3 of its second-round series against Vancouver.
Casper Ruud played twice on Saturday to win the Geneva Open, as he heads into Roland-Garros in fine form.
With his semi-final against Flavio Cobolli having been postponed on Friday due to rain, Ruud returned to the court to seal a 1-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4) victory.
The Norwegian was swiftly back in action in Switzerland, taking on Tomas Machac, who stunned Novak Djokovic on Friday, in the final.
And the world number seven made light work of Mahac, winning 7-5 6-3 to become the first three-time champion at the Geneva Open, which he also won in 2021 and 2022.
Data Debrief: Clay court specialist
Ruud has now claimed an 11th ATP event title on clay since the start of the 2020 season.
He is the only player to win 10+ titles over that span on the surface, with Carlos Alcaraz (seven) the next best.
The Indiana Pacers reportedly won't have star Tyrese Haliburton for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
Haliburton exited in the third quarter of Thursday's 126-110 loss at Boston due to a left hamstring injury, and won't be able to play in the first game in Indianapolis, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Thursday's defeat dropped the Pacers to 0-2 in the series.
Haliburton experienced pain in the same hamstring earlier this season, missing 10 games in January.
The two-time All-Star had 25 points, 10 assists and made six 3-pointers in 40 minutes in the series opener before playing only 28 minutes in Game 2. He had 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting and eight assists before departing.
With Haliburton out, the Pacers will likely again rely on Pascal Siakam for offence and need Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell to step up.
Charles Leclerc ensured pole position for this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen could only manage sixth place after crashing into a wall during qualifying.
Leclerc beat Oscar Piastri by 0.154 seconds for his third pole in the last four races in Monaco, where Ferrari have excelled on the narrow track layout, high kerbs and slow-speed corners.
Verstappen was seeking history by surpassing Ayrton Senna for an eighth successive pole in Qualifying, while maintaining his perfect record at the start of the season.
However, the runaway Drivers' Championship leader hit the wall at Sainte Devote on his final lap, and had to settle for sixth on a track where overtaking is regarded as the most difficult on the calendar.
Leclerc now hopes he and Ferrari can now convert their position at the head of the grid into victory, having failed to do so in each of the last two years.
"It was nice. The feeling after a qualifying lap is always very special here," he said. "[I am] really, really happy about the lap, the excitement is so high, but it feels really good.
"But now, I know more often than not, qualifying is not everything. As much as it counts, we need to put everything together on the Sunday. In past years, we did not manage to do it, but we are a stronger team now, and I am sure we can achieve the target."
His Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz was third, though he faces an investigation for impeding Williams' Alex Albon in the first session, ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell.
Zandre Roye and Mattea Issa both had a three-point lead over their nearest competitors at the end of the first round of the Jamaica Golf Association's National Amateur Golf Championship being played at the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine.
Roye scored even par 72 for the round to lead former national champion and club mate Oshae Haye and Jack Stein by three strokes after they both scored three over par 75.
They were being tracked closely by young guns Rocco Lopez and Trey Williams who are just two strokes back on five over par 77.
Roye had a good front nine and was up by two between holes six to eight after copping two birdies on holes two and six but bogeyed number eight to close on one under par 35.
He started the back nine by dropping a shot on hole number 10 but recovered on holes 11 and 12 to be up by two shots between 12 to 15 but dropped a shot on 16 and 17, then parred 18 to close the back nine on one over par 37.
His four birdies were cancelled out by the four bogeys which he scored in the round. That makes him the only golfer to go into day two with a clean sheet to build on.
Junior player Mattea Issa scored nine over par 81 to take the lead over many time national champion Jodi Munn-Barrow who ended the first round on twelve over par 84. Alessandra Coe, another junior player was just two shots behind on 14 over par 86.
Both Roye and Issa were happy with their first round performance under hot and windy conditions on the course, while looking forward to extending their lead at the end of the second round of the three-round championship.
The second round will get under way at 8:30 am on Saturday morning.
There will be a new male and female champion this year as William Knibbs and Michelle McCreath who are the 2023 champions did not tee off on Friday and will not feature in the championship this year.
Jamaican defender Latanya Wilson, produced a Player of the Match performance in her 50th national league game to assist Adelaide Thunderbirds to a comfortable 58-33 win over New South Wales Swifts in a lopsided affair at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday.
The contest, which was a repeat of last year’s grand final, was expected to be just a fierce, but Wilson and her Thunderbirds teammates were in a no-nonsense mood, as they won all but one quarter of the encounter to bounce back from last week's nail-biting one-goal loss to West Coast Fever.
Wilson, 23, notched up 118.5 Nissan Net Points thanks to four intercepts, seven deflections and nine pick-ups in a performance that matches her milestone.
“It feels so amazing. What a milestone. It is such a great feeling and I am so happy we got the win. We are evolving and we are hunting something new, whatever that looks like, I am so happy that I am a part of this great team,” a beaming Wilson said in a post-game interview.
While the wing defence did her part along with compatriot and goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, who had five deflections and three intercepts, another Jamaican Romelda Aiken-George led the Thunderbirds attack with 30 goals from 32 attempts.
Lucy Austin (12 goals from 12 attempts), Georgie Horjus (nine goals from 10 attempts), and Lauren Frew (seven goals from nine attempts), contributed the others.
Wilson was on song in the Thunderbirds defence.
Meanwhile, the Swifts, who were off beat all-around, got most goals from Sophie Fawns (16 goals from 19 attempts). Helen Housby (10 goals from 14 attempts), Trinidad and Tobago’s Samantha Wallace-Joseph (five goals from seven attempts) and Grace Whyte (two goals from four attempts), got the others.
Aside from the opening quarter in which they came out strong and secured a 13-12 lead over the Thunderbirds, the Swifts struggled to maintain momentum throughout.
In fact, they made a number of errors in the second quarter that shifted things in favour of the Thunderbirds, who capitalised and won the quarter 11-7 to overtake the lead at 23-20 at the half-time interval.
Wallace-Joseph finally entered the court for the Swifts to start the third quarter which meant Housby moved back into her preferred position of goal attack, but the move proved futile.
While both teams made some uncharacteristic errors, the Thunderbirds recovered best and later asserted their authority on the contest in what turned out to be a match-winning third quarter.
Sterling-Humphrey made her presence felt and picked up a flying intercept, after which, Wilson took the mantle to shut out the Swifts, as they ended the quarter 13 goals up at 41-28.
Faced with the huge deficit, it was crucial for the Swifts to come out firing in the fourth quarter - and they did for the most part, but another intercept from Sterling-Humphrey prevented them from scoring.
From there, the Swifts racked up penalties and turnovers, while missing six of their 11 attempts, as Thunderbirds effortlessly took the quarter 17-5 to complete the 25-goal rout.
Rafael Nadal refused to rule out returning to Roland-Garros in the future, suggesting this French Open may not be his last after all.
Nadal is widely anticipated to retire after the 2024 season, meaning this year's French Open would be his final appearance at a major he has won a record 14 times.
The Spaniard has been handed a tough draw, with Nadal going up against Alexander Zverev in the first round.
However, ahead of that tie, Nadal told reporters this may not in fact be his last showing at Roland-Garros.
"If I have to tell you it's 100 per cent my last Roland Garros, sorry but I will not, because I cannot predict what's going on. I hope you understand," Nadal said.
"I don't want to close 100 per cent the door, because it's a very simple thing.
"First, I'm enjoying playing tennis, more or less healthy and playing without limitation.
"Maybe in one month and a half I'll say 'OK, it's enough, I can't keep going'. But today I cannot guarantee that it's going to be the last one."
Nadal has endured an injury-hit few seasons, but after playing in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, feels he is getting closer to true fitness.
"I'm feeling better. That's the truth," Nadal added, appearing more cheerful than he has in recent months.
"Probably because we did things to try to feel better and we have been working without a stop to keep going with the process, to try to arrive here in a proper way."
Nadal's tally of 112 matches won at the French Open is more than any other player has managed when it comes to match wins at a single major, seven ahead of Roger Federer's tally of 105 at Wimbledon.
He expects a tough test against Zverev, though a potentially good omen is that he is the only player with over 10 wins against top-five opponents at Roland-Garros since the ATP Rankings were published in 1974, with 20 such victories.
"It's a super-tough first round. Maybe I go there and I repeat the disaster of Rome. It's a possibility. I don't want to hide that," Nadal said.
"But in my mind is something different, play much better and give myself a chance to be competitive. I didn't play against this level of opponent in a super-long time.
"The rest of the things are just talking and talking, and in the end don't matter. It's about my feelings and my feelings are better. I want to enjoy that match."
Luka Doncic loves the big stage, and that's what makes him "special" to Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.
Doncic again displayed his ability to perform in the biggest moments on Friday as he drained a 3-pointer over four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to lead the Mavericks to a 109-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, one that leaves them 2-0 up in their Western Conference final.
The Mavericks came back from an 18-point deficit to tighten their grip on the series, with Doncic leading the way. The five-time All-Star ended the game with 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to manage four triple-doubles across a five-game postseason span.
Kidd hailed Doncic's game-winning impact, saying there was no other option but to try and get him the ball when deciding what play to run during the timeout with 13 seconds remaining
"As you've seen, he loves that stage," Kidd told reporters. "He doesn't run from it. He made a big shot. Luka is special. He loves those type of moments.
"The play was to get Luka the ball and let Luka do what he does in those moments."
Doncic believes the comeback, the Mavericks' third-biggest in their postseason history, was down to his team's mindset as he ruthlessly snatched the game away from the Timberwolves.
"Like I always say, stay together, positive energy," Doncic explained. "We believed until the end.
"I just saw some space and decided to shoot a 3. Get to my spot, step back. That's it."
Carlos Alcaraz says he is feeling better ahead of the French Open, but still has concerns about ongoing issues with his right forearm.
The world number three reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros 12 months ago, losing out to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, but his preparations have been far from ideal this time around.
Alcaraz has been dogged by an injury to his right forearm during the clay-court season, which forced him to withdraw from Barcelona and Rome, while his fitness struggles were evident in his Madrid Open quarter-final defeat by Andrey Rublev.
The Spaniard admits he may have to adapt his game plan against J.J. Wolf in the opening round, but he was optimistic on media day in the French capital.
"I'm feeling better," he smiled. "At least I can practise and hit balls without pain. That's a really good point for me. I came here to this tournament with not as many matches as I wanted, but I'm focusing on practice.
"I'm not feeling any pain when I step on the court in practice, but I'm still thinking about it when I am hitting forehands. I'm a little bit scared about hitting every forehand 100 per cent, so I have to change it in my first match.
"It's Roland Garros, and it's a really special tournament. Everybody wants to have good results here. This tournament is one of the main reasons that I'm practising every day. I want to be a better player, to be able to win these kinds of tournaments.
"I'm practising well. I'm getting in rhythm. I'm getting confidence [from] the practice and that is really important, and I think I don't need too many matches to get to my 100 per cent level."
Alexander Zverev is preparing to face a Rafael Nadal at the peak of his powers when they collide in the first round at the French Open.
The fourth seed takes on the 14-time winner in the most eye-catching tie of the opening round at Roland Garros, where they memorably locked horns in the 2022 semi-finals.
It looked set to be a classic encounter on Court Philippe Chatrier until Zverev suffered a horrifying ankle ligament injury at the back end of the second set, following which he was forced to retire.
The German admits that will be in the back of his mind two years on, and the three-time semi-finalist is fresh from claiming his first ATP Masters title in three years at the Italian Open last time out.
Nadal, meanwhile, has suffered an almost endless battle with injuries since that last-four clash, but stepped up preparations for his Roland Garros swansong with successive appearances in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome.
Nevertheless, Zverev is ready to face an inspired Spaniard, who boasts an incredible 112-3 record at this event.
"In my mind, I'm going to play peak Rafa Nadal," the 27-year-old said. "That's what I expect him to be. I expect him to be at his absolute best. I expect him to play the best tennis he's played in a long time on this court.
"I wanted to play Rafa again in my career, in his career, because I didn't want my last memory of me playing against Rafa to be me leaving the court in a wheelchair.
"Ideally, I would have liked to play him in the later stage of the tournament, but it is how it is now. He is unseeded this year. I am seeded. It's a tough draw, but it's a tough draw for both of us. We'll see how it goes on Monday."
Rafael Nadal is about to step out at Roland-Garros for the final time.
The Spanish great - a 22-time grand slam champion – is set for his farewell appearance at the French Open, which he has won a record 14 times.
It seems unlikely the soon-to-be 38-year-old will extend that record on Court Philippe-Chatrier over the coming two weeks, though of course you never know.
Familiar foe Novak Djokovic goes in with better odds than Nadal, as the world number one aims to retain his crown.
Yet, there is the new generation of superstars looking to take control, and on Nadal's farewell appearance at the tournament he has dominated, it would be fitting if the baton was handed over to Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner or another star of the next generation.
Let's dive into the data ahead of the 2024 French Open.
Rafa's last dance
We couldn't start anywhere else. What an icon Nadal has been, especially at Roland-Garros, and you would be a brave punter to bet against anyone matching or bettering his haul of 14 titles in Paris.
Nadal is one of two players to have won 10 men's singles titles at a single major, along with Djokovic at the Australian Open (10 titles).
The Spaniard holds a 100 per cent winning record in the French Open final, while he has also taken the Roland-Garros crown on four occasions without dropping a single set (2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020).
His tally of 112 matches won at the French Open is more than any other player has managed when it comes to match wins at a single major, seven ahead of Roger Federer's tally of 105 at Wimbledon.
Indeed, Nadal's win percentage at Roland-Garros (97.4 per cent) is the best of any player at a single grand slam. He has only lost three of his 115 matches at the French Open and only two opponents have managed to beat him there – Djokovic (twice) and Robin Soderling.
Nadal's best consecutive run of matches won at the French Open is 39, which is only bettered by Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon (41) and Federer in the US Open and Wimbledon (40 at each tournament) in the Open Era.
Only Djokovic, Margaret Court (24 each) and Serena Williams (23) have won more major titles than Nadal, while only Djokovic and Federer have appeared in more grand slam men's singles finals than Nadal in the Open Era.
Yet, if he is to dazzle the Paris crowd in one last dance at Roland-Garros, he is going to have to do it the hard way, having been drawn against world number four Alexander Zverev.
The German is coming off the back of claiming his second Italian Open title, becoming the third player since 2000 to win that tournament on multiple occasions, after Nadal (10) and Djokovic (six).
A good omen for Rafa, perhaps, is that he is the only player with over 10 wins against top-five opponents at Roland-Garros since the ATP Rankings were published in 1974, with 20 such victories.
Should he make it beyond Zverev, Nadal could have a relatively kind run to the last 16, in which Holger Rune may be waiting. Daniil Medvedev or Alex de Minaur would be the quarter-final opponent before a potential semi against Djokovic, and a possible final against Nadal's heir apparent in Alcaraz.
Nadal is not the only modern great who is set to make his farewell French Open appearance. Andy Murray has indicated he will retire in the coming months, too.
Djokovic the defender
The spotlight might be on Nadal, but Djokovic is the defending title and is out to make history, as he bids to surpass Court's record of 24 majors and become the outright leader for grand slam titles across men's and women's singles events.
Aged 36 years and 20 days, Djokovic became the oldest winner of the men's singles at Roland-Garros in the Open Era when he triumphed last year. Djokovic is one of two players in the Open Era aged 35 or over to win the event, along with Nadal (2022).
Since the start of the 2020 season, three players have registered 50 or more men’s singles match wins at grand slam events, with Djokovic leading the way (86), ahead of Medvedev (59) and Zverev (56).
Djokovic is out to become the second player in the Open Era to secure a major singles title after turning 37, along with Ken Rosewall at the Australian Open in 1972.
In the event he reaches the quarter-final barring walkovers, Djokovic will surpass Federer (369) for the most men's singles match wins at grand slams in the Open Era. Djokovic is currently on 366.
At least one of Federer, Nadal or Djokovic has made the men's singles final at Roland-Garros since 2005. Expect the three-time French Open champion to go on a deep run again.
The contenders
Alcaraz can't be discounted. The world number three has yet to reach a French Open final, but is the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the round of 16 at seven consecutive majors.
Competing against the two-time grand slam champion is Sinner, who is now above Alcaraz in the ATP rankings.
He is the player with the highest winning percentage so far in 2024 (93.3 per cent, 28-2), and is also only the second Italian in the Open Era to hold a top-three seed in the men's singles at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta (1977), who was defending champion that year.
Zverev is in fine form, Medvedev is always dangerous and Casper Ruud is strong on clay.
Only three unseeded players have won the men’s singles title at Roland-Garros in the Open Era – Mats Wilander (1982), Gustavo Kuerten (1997) and Gaston Gaudio (2004). Do not expect that to change this time around.
Novak Djokovic admits he is concerned by his performance levels this season ahead of launching his title defence at the French Open.
The world number one's wait for his first silverware of 2024 continued following a semi-final defeat by Tomas Machac in Geneva on Friday.
He also fell in the last four in Melbourne and Monte Carlo, while suffering a shock defeat at the hands of world number 123 Luca Nardi in the last 32 at Indian Wells.
Therefore Djokovic, who split from long-term coach Goran Ivanisevic earlier in the campaign, can be forgiven for not being full of confidence ahead of his latest quest for a record-breaking 25th grand slam singles title at Roland Garros.
"Of course, I am worried. I haven't been playing well at all this year," he said after his defeat to Machac.
"It's not enjoyment when you are suffering on the court feeling this way. You're not able to focus on tennis when you have other stuff happening. I just hope I can be fit and ready and prepared for Roland Garros.
"I don't want to take anything away from his win, he deserved it. I don't know what to think about this match, to be honest. I want to forget about it and move on to Paris.
"It was good that I could come here and play more than one match. I played three. I just need to feel better."
Djokovic will become the fourth man in the Open Era to make 20 or more main-draw appearances at the French Open when he begins his campaign against local wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
A run to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros - without walkovers - would see him surpass Roger Federer for the most singles match wins at majors.
Although, an early exit could see the 37-year-old surrender top spot in the ATP rankings, with world number two and reigning Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner breathing down his neck.
"[I've had] some [good] matches here and there, but it is what it is," he added. "You have to accept it. I don't consider myself a favourite there. I'm going to take it match by match and see how far I can go."
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