Rafael Nadal said Saturday that he is leaning towards playing at the French Open despite his second-round elimination in Rome, as Novak Djokovic laughed off being hit by a bottle which briefly cast doubt on his continued participation.

Clay-court icon Nadal had previously said that he would only play at the French Open, where he has won a record 14 titles, if he feels competitive after a raft of injury problems over the last two years which have left him languishing 305th in the world rankings.

And the manner of his elimination in his first ever encounter with Hubert Hurkacz — winner in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 — seemed a step backwards after reaching the last 16 in Madrid, leaving a question mark hanging over his plans.

“The decision, as you can imagine, is not clear in my mind today. But if I have to say what’s my feeling and if my mind is closer one way or the other way, I am going to say to be in Roland Garros and try my best,” Nadal told reporters.

“Physically I have some issues, but not probably yet enough to say I’m not playing in the most important event of my tennis career. Let’s see what’s going on, how I feel myself mentally tomorrow, after tomorrow, and in one week.”

Nadal held his own in the first two games in the first set, which took 26 minutes to complete, but then quickly fell away, Hurkacz winning without dropping a service game and seemingly without breaking a sweat.

‘BIGGER THAN THE SPORT’ 

That level of dominance over Nadal on clay, much less a court where he has won a record 10 titles, would have been unimaginable a few short years ago.

Hurkacz will face Tomas Etcheverry in the third round after likely ending Nadal’s love affair with Rome as the 22-time Grand Slam winner said that he was “98 percent” sure that he would never again grace the Roman clay.

“No-one will ever have a record like him on this surface. He’s just bigger than the sport at the end of the day,” said Hurkacz.

Second seed Daniil Medvedev kicked off his title defence by beating Jack Draper in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 to set up a third-round clash with qualifier Hamad Medjedovic, while Stefanos Tsitsipas came back from a set down to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-4.

Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev, the champion on clay in Madrid last week, also needed a fightback to see off 49th-ranked Marcos Giron of the United States 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.

World number one Djokovic donned a cycling crash helmet on his way to practice to show that he was fit and ready to face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday afternoon.

Djokovic was left crouching in agony after being accidentally hit on the head by a hard water bottle while signing fan autographs on Friday night.

But he suffered only minor injuries, and on Saturday he joked “Today I came prepared” with a video of him arriving while wearing the helmet.

Novak Djokovic light-heartedly donned a cycling crash helmet on Saturday after being hit on the head by a water bottle at the Rome Open but insisted he was feeling “fine”.

World number one Djokovic was left crouched on the ground in agony when a bottle struck him as he greeted fans on centre court at the Foro Italico following his second-round win over France’s Corentin Moutet on Friday.

“Thank you for the messages of concern,” Djokovic wrote Saturday on X.

“This was an accident and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday.”

The 36-year-old later posted a video of himself wearing a bicycle helmet as he came to training, with the jokey message “Today I came prepared”.

He will next face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday as the Serb warms up for the French Open with a great chance to add to his six titles in Rome, where only Rafael Nadal has won more with 10.

There had been fears that Djokovic might join the list of players to withdraw from the tournament after the 24-time Grand Slam winner was covered by security staff as he was led from the arena on foot.

However tournament organisers later released a short statement saying Djokovic’s “condition is not a cause for concern”, and shared a video showing that the bottle had accidentally slipped from a spectator’s grasp.

Djokovic’s absence would have been a blow for the last major tournament before the French Open which is already without Italian world number two Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.

Home fans have also been deprived of cheering on former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Musetti who both pulled out, Musetti while losing to France’s Terence Atmane on Friday morning.

And Djokovic’s great clay-court rival Nadal, a big crowd favourite, was dumped out in the second round on Saturday by seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz.

Novak Djokovic was left in agony after being struck with a hard plastic water bottle as he left the court following his 6-3, 6-1 win over France’s Corentin Moutet at the Rome Open which advanced him to the third round on Friday.

World number one Djokovic was left crouched on the ground in pain as the bottle hit him on the back of the head as he was signing autographs for fans while he exited the centre court at the Foro Italico.

Djokovic was then led from the arena on foot by security staff who covered the 24-time Grand Slam winner while he made his way into the bowels of the stands.

Tournament organisers did not respond to AFP‘s request for an update on Djokovic’s condition, but should he be OK he will face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo next as the Serb warms up for the French Open with a great chance to add to his array of titles at the Foro Italico, where only Rafael Nadal has won more with 10.

The top seed, who turns 37 a few days before Roland Garros gets under way later this month, easily won his first match since losing to Casper Ruud in the semifinals at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Djokovic has made no secret in the past that he loves playing in Italy and with a clutch of big names either out injured or struggling he will fancy his chances of a record-extending 41st Masters 1000 crown.

The Rome tournament, which runs until 19 May, is missing two of its biggest stars with Italian world number two Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz both withdrawing from the men’s draw before the start.

Meanwhile clay court icon Nadal had a creaky start in the first round against qualifier Zizou Bergs on Thursday and is on the opposite side of the draw to his great rival, meaning the only way that the pair could face each other would be in an unlikely final.

One of Djokovic’s potential threats, third seed Alexander Zverev, breezed into the third round with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic.

And it was similar story for Djokovic, who after briefly being bamboozled by flamboyant Moutet’s array of shots slowly eased into gear, rattling off seven games in a row from 3-1 down in the first set to take control of the match.

Moutet briefly brought a smile to Djokovic and the crowd’s faces when his phone went off in the middle of an absorbing opening game of the second set, which lasted nine minutes and saw the Frenchman save four break points before giving way and allowing Djokovic to cruise to victory.

Austria’s Dominic Thiem, former US Open champion, announced his retirement from the sport on Friday, ending a career plagued by a long-term wrist injury.

The 30-year-old’s career has nose-dived since his crowning moment in 2020, when Thiem beat Alexander Zverev in that year’s pandemic-affected US Open final held behind closed doors.

“The season 2024 is gonna be my last one. I am gonna finish my career with the end of this season,” Thiem said in a video statement posted on social media.

Thiem said several reasons had influenced his decision to retire, mainly his injured wrist and his “inner feeling” that had caused him to “very carefully” reflect on the ups and downs of his “incredible… journey as a tennis player”.

He said he had thought about the decision to end his career “for a very long time”.

“I am very happy with it (decision) and I am also super excited for everything what is coming next,” he said.

Once the world No 3, Thiem’s ranking plummeted to 352 in June 2022 after a wrist injury sidelined him for nine months and prevented him from defending his US Open title.

He is currently ranked 117th.

Over the course of his career, Thiem won 17 tournaments, including the US Open in 2020.

Twice a finalist at the French Open and once at the Australian Open, Thiem has also contested two finals at the Masters in London that brings together the season’s eight best players.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic praised Thiem earlier this week, saying the Austrian had “always shown respect on the court and always took the time to say hello”, according to APA press agency.

“I really like Dominic. We all know how hard it is to come back (after an injury),” Djokovic was quoted as saying.

Rafael Nadal said that he can no longer afford to fear injury after battling into the second round of the Rome Open on Thursday, with Roland Garros looming on the horizon.

Clay court icon Nadal bounced back from a set down to beat qualifier Zizou Bergs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Italian capital with a gritty performance which will need to be improved upon when the Spaniard faces his next opponent, world No 9 Hubert Hurkacz.

Should he progress further Nadal also has last year’s winner, world No 4 Daniil Medvedev, and the beaten finalist Holger Rune on his side of the draw.

The 37-year-old took nearly three hours to see off Belgian Bergs as he continued his comeback and bid to play at Roland Garros, most likely for the last time.

Nadal has in recent times been a shadow of the player who has won 22 Grand Slams in a storied career which has also brought a record 10 titles in Rome, being battered by injuries and dropping down to 305 in the world rankings after missing almost all of last year.

“I have Roland Garros in just two weeks and a half… I need to prove myself if I am able to push my body to the limit, I need to push to feel myself ready for what’s coming,” Nadal told reporters.

“I am not talking only about Roland Garros. I am talking about the next match. I need to lose this fear. Matches like today help.

“Some moments I was moving faster. Some moments not. I need to get used to that, to take that risk… I feel more ready to try it than before.”

NADAL BATTLES THROUGH

Nadal has said that he will only play at the French Open, where he has won 14 times, if he feels competitive and although he showed glimpses of his old self against 108th-ranked Bergs he struggled on his serve and looked a long way from Grand Slam standard.

Outsider Bergs, 24, is an eight-time title winner on the Challenger tour and had in previous tournaments taken sets off high-profile players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rune.

The hard-hitting Belgian pushed his big-name rival all the way, briefly looking like he might win the biggest match of his career to date before Nadal fought back to take victory.

Novak Djokovic said he is building up to hit top form for his French Open title defence, after the world No 1 skipped last month’s Madrid Masters and arrived early in Rome to continue his preparations for the year’s second Grand Slam.

The Serb last competed at the Monte Carlo Masters in April where he lost to Casper Ruud in the semifinals, and the record 24-times Grand Slam champion is still seeking his first trophy of the season.

The 37-year-old, who has split with long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic, is currently working with former doubles world No 1 Nenad Zimonjic and said he was happy with his progress ahead of Roland Garros starting on May 26.

“I had plenty of time to also rest and train. I had a good training block. I arrived (in Rome) two days ago to get a hit on the centre court, obviously stay four-five days training before my first match with top players,” Djokovic told reporters.

“Obviously it’s different when you train with them, playing practice sets, seeing where your game is at and working your way towards the fine form for the first official match.

“I think I’m on a good route to peak at Roland Garros in Paris. Hopefully here in Rome I can play better than I did in Monte Carlo.”

Djokovic also parted ways with fitness coach Marco Panichi and said he had rehired Gebhard Gritsch as he targets success in the Grand Slams and the Paris Olympics.

“We know each other really well. That’s why I feel we’re synchronised from the very beginning in terms of what we want to do, how we want to approach the programme of training on and off the court. With Nenad as well,” Djokovic added.

“I’m pleased with the way the last 10-14 days went in terms of training, in terms of preparation and looking ahead to this tournament, but particularly Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Olympic Games.”

Rafael Nadal said he is encouraged by his steady progress after returning from injury last month, as the 14-times French Open champion continues his preparation for Roland Garros at this week’s Rome Masters.

Nadal, who has said he expects to retire after this season, spent most of last year nursing a hip issue that required surgery, before a muscle tear in Brisbane stalled his comeback in January.

The 37-year-old returned to the tour during the clay swing for tournaments in Barcelona and Madrid, and is fit enough to play his third event in a row in Rome.

“That didn’t happen since a super long time ago,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“That’s good news. I need to keep going. I need to keep exploring how I’ll be able to manage to play every day. But yeah, I’m happy the way that I feel today.”

The 22-times Grand Slam champion said he experienced tough moments in his last two tournaments, and in his first training session in Rome ahead of Thursday’s opener against Zizou Bergs.

“But in general, the line’s going up, without a doubt,” he added. “Happy to be today where I am, because one month ago for me it was almost impossible to think that I’ll be able to play in Barcelona, then in Madrid and now being here in Rome.

“I’m doing the things the proper way and trying to avoid a lot of risks in terms of pushing a lot in matches, I was able to keep moving. Madrid was a good test for me playing, I think, two days in a row, one match over three hours.

“All the matches are difficult and more unpredictable than they used to be for me, especially on clay. I accept that role. I accept that challenge.”

The French Open begins on May 26.

World No 1 Novak Djokovic said he believes he will be in top form for the French Open and hopes to prove that at the Italian Open which started on Wednesday.

The Serbian told a press conference in Rome on Wednesday that his focus is on Paris, Wimbledon and the Olympic Games and he had strategic reasons for skipping the recent Madrid event.

“It was not part of the schedule. The plan was to come here. That’s basically it,” said Djokovic at a press conference at the Italian Open.

Djokovic, who turns 37 on May 22, just before the French Open gets under way on 26 May, said he hoped to perform better than he did in his last tournament, the Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost to Casper Ruud in the semifinals.

“I’m on a good route to peak at Roland Garros in Paris,” he said.

“Hopefully, here in Rome I can play better than I did in Monte-Carlo.”

“The wish, obviously, is always to go far, but let’s see.”

As top seed Djokovic, who has won the Italian Open six times, has a bye in the first round.

He said the expansion of the event to nearly two weeks influenced scheduling choices.

“It’s a different concept now, the first time that Rome and Madrid are almost two-week events, like Indian Wells, Miami.

“It gives you more time to recover between matches if you keep going in the tournament, which I think is useful for me.”

As Djokovic continues to overhaul his team, he has rehired former physio Miljan Amanovic for “certain weeks” this season.

Amanovic worked for Djokovic from 2007 to 2017 and again from 2018 to 2022.

Djokovic has sacked several staff in recent months, including coach Goran Ivanisevic and the publicity team.

“I’m a proponent of having a quality team and entourage around you, having people who are experts in their field, who have experience, who have knowledge, who also understand psychology as well,” he said.

“They know how to emotionally approach you when you need help or when you need space.

“You spend a lot of time on the tour together.

“You see them much more than you see your family, especially when you’re younger, when you’re travelling literally every single week of the year.”

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal said on Wednesday he was “excited to be playing in Rome” despite entering the Italian Open unseeded and ranked 305th.

“All the matches are tough for me today, difficult and more unpredictable than what they used to be for me, especially on clay,” the 37-year-old, 10-time Italian Open winner said.

“I accept that role. I accept that challenge. I’m excited about the way that I can be able to play if I keep working the proper way and my body allows me.”

The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion has recently returned to the circuit after a long absence due to injury.

He will open his campaign against Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs, with the Spanish icon taking nothing for granted but confident of his current match preparation.

“I’m excited to be playing in Rome. It’s a tournament that brings back a lot of unforgettable memories,” said Nadal, who turns 38 on 3 June.

“But it’s day by day. This will be my third week almost in a row on the tour, third tournament almost in a row.

“That hasn’t happened for a super long time – that’s good news.

“I need to keep going. I need to keep exploring how I will be able to manage to play every day.

“But I’m happy the way that I feel today.”

YOUNGSTERS ALSO STRUGGLING WITH INJURIES

Nadal is not the only top player with injury issues. Young stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are missing Rome.

“When you push your body to the limit, you get injured,” said Nadal.

“When the game is faster and faster and faster, you get injured.

“When you play most of the year on hard courts and the surfaces are tougher for the body, you get injured. That’s the simple answer.”

But he said that such issues were inevitable.

“It is also about the tournaments, about the business, about the sport.”

“At the end the players want to make money. The tournaments want to make money. The cycles come together.

“We accept that role. Things happen.”

“You cannot complain about that. You accept what’s going on. You keep going. You get injured, you have to recover well.

“They are young (Alcaraz and Sinner), they are going to have plenty of time to play in Rome and have a lot of success here. No drama.”

Rafael Nadal was drawn on Monday with a qualifier in the first round of the Italian Open as the 22-time Grand Slam winner continues his comeback from injury on clay in Rome.

Should Nadal get through to the second round in the Italian capital, where he has won the title a record 10 times, he could face world No 9 Hubert Hurkacz.

Also on Nadal’s side of the draw are last year’s winner, world No 4 Daniil Medvedev, and the beaten finalist Holger Rune.

The 37-year-old last won in Rome in 2021 and dropped out last year with injury ahead of the tournament.

Since making his comeback in April after three months on the sidelines, Nadal, who sits at 305 in the men’s ATP tour rankings after hardly playing in 2023, has been knocked out in the second round in Barcelona and reached the last 16 in Madrid.

This season is expected to be Nadal’s last, even though he has not decided exactly when he will be hanging up his racquet.

Numerous physical issues have hampered him over the past two years and he has said that he will only compete at Roland Garros later this month if he feels competitive.

Nadal’s old rival Novak Djokovic will face either a qualifier or Russian Roman Safiullin in the second round as he guns for a seventh title in Rome with key rivals sidelined.

Both home hope Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, ranked two and three in the world respectively, have been forced to withdraw from the tournament with injury.

Andrey Rublev won the Madrid Open with a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday to secure his second title of the year, despite battling with illness.

The Russian world No 8 said he was “almost dead every day” and could barely sleep this week after securing a career second Masters 1000 victory.

Rublev had lost four consecutive matches before arriving in the Spanish capital but came from a set down to beat his Canadian opponent.

The 26-year-old triumphed at the Hong Kong Open in January but struggled since before turning around his form in Madrid, dropping just one set on the way to what proved a tense final.

“I think it was an incredible match, Felix deserved (in) the same way as me to win today and we showed a great battle together, I think the most important thing was that the people enjoyed it,” said Rublev on court.

“Our sport is like this, we cannot have both winners.”

Rublev, who takes the Madrid crown from double champion Carlos Alcaraz whom he beat in the quarterfinals, said he had played despite feeling ill at times this week and hailed his doctors for helping him through.

“If you knew what I had been through in the past nine days you would not imagine that I would be able to win a title,” he added.

“I was almost dead every day, I was not sleeping at night – the last three, four days I didn’t sleep.”

Auger-Aliassime reached the final after his opponent Jiri Lehecka retired hurt in the semifinals and quarterfinal opponent Jannik Sinner withdrew with a hip injury, with the ATP draw at the clay-court tournament struck by misfortune.

However the 23-year-old Canadian, ranked 35th in the world, gave everything he had in his first Masters 1000 final appearance.

– Tense battle –

Auger-Aliassime started superbly by breaking to love in the first game and then again in the fifth game for a 4-1 lead.

Rublev recovered a break when Auger-Aliassime went long, and consolidated for a 4-3 deficit.

The Russian saved a set point to hold for 5-4 down but Auger-Aliassime clinched it at the second opportunity with a forehand down the line.

In the second set the Canadian held for 3-3 with a brilliant drop shot after Rublev spurned a break point.

They stayed on serve until the 12th game when Rublev brought up two set points, converting the second to take it to a deciding third set.

Rublev raced through his service games and put heavy pressure on his opponent’s serve, forcing a break point in the second game and two more in the fourth, none of which he could take.

Auger-Aliassime produced huge serves to fight his way out of tough spots, racking up 14 aces in the match to Rublev’s seven.

However Rublev dropped just three points on his serve in the third set, while Auger-Aliassime trailed in all of his service games but always battled back, until the decisive 12th game.

Auger-Aliassime double-faulted to hand Rublev the title, with the Russian falling to the floor in delight.

Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner said Sunday that he will only compete at the French Open if he is fully fit after being forced to withdraw injured from this week’s Italian Open.

Italian world No 2 Sinner announced that he was dropping out of his home tournament in Rome on Saturday as he failed to recover from a right hip injury which forced him to retire from the Madrid Open last week.

“I will only take part in Roland Garros if I am 100 per cent fit,” said Sinner at a press conference held in Rome.

“I don’t want to go into details (of the injury), we thought initially that it wasn’t anything serious but the scans showed that there was something that wasn’t right.

“One thing is sure, if I’ve not 100 per cent recovered I will take more time out as I do not want to lose three years of my career.

“It hurts (not playing) but making sure my body heals is the most important thing.”

Sinner, who holds a 28-2 record on the season, added that he would out of action “for a week, a week and a half”.

“My preparation for Paris won’t be optimal because I won’t have much time, but what is sure is that I will give everything in order to be in a position to play,” he said.

Sinner had been a doubt for the Italian Open which starts on Wednesday and is the last big tournament before the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year starting on May 26.

The 22-year-old was due to face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Madrid quarterfinals on Thursday but pulled out due to his hip issue.

Even though he is not a clay court specialist Sinner would have been one of the favourites for the tournament in Rome after a stunning start to the year.

He won the Australian Open, his first Slam title, in January and followed that up with his second Masters 1000 crown in Miami in March.

Sinner joins world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz in withdrawing from the event in the Italian capital after the Spaniard succumbed to a right forearm injury that sidelined him in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner announced on Saturday he will not play at the upcoming Italian Open due to a hip injury which forced him out in Madrid earlier this week.

Italian Sinner was a doubt for the Rome event which starts on Wednesday and is the last big tournament before the Grand Slam French Open.

“After speaking again with the doctors and specialists about my hip problems I have to announce that unfortunately I will not be able to play in Rome,” the world No 2 said on X, formerly Twitter.

“I’m very sad that I wasn’t able to recover as it is one of my favourite tournaments.”

The 22-year-old would have been one of the favourites for the Masters 1000 tournament in the Italian capital after winning the Australian Open, his first Slam title, at the start of the year and following that up and his second Masters 1000 crown in Miami in March.

Sinner, who holds a 28-2 record on the season, was due to face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Madrid quarterfinals on Thursday but revealed he had been battling through a hip issue in the Spanish capital.

Sinner joins world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz in withdrawing from the clay-court event in Rome after the Spaniard succumbed to a right forearm injury that sidelined him in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

The pair will now try to recover in time for an assault on the French Open, the season’s second major, which starts in Paris on May 26.

Felix Auger-Aliassime said “it’s crazy times for the elite of our sport” as the Canadian benefitted from yet another retirement to set up a Madrid Open final clash against Andrey Rublev on Friday.

Czech 30th seed Jiri Lehecka became the latest player to withdraw in the Spanish capital through injury, as he sustained a back problem and was forced to retire at 3-3 in the opening set of his semifinal against Auger-Aliassime.

Top seed Jannik Sinner withdrew ahead of his quarterfinal with Auger-Aliassime, citing a hip injury, while Jakub Mensik also gave the Canadian free passage when he retired early in the second set of their third-round clash.

The Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid has been dealt one blow after another, starting with the pre-event withdrawal of world No 1 Novak Djokovic.

After losing Sinner to injury, the tournament also saw its third seed bow out as Daniil Medvedev retired midway through his quarterfinal with Lehecka on Thursday.

Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, announced on Friday he was withdrawing from next week’s Masters 1000 in Rome due to a forearm injury.

“It’s crazy. I don’t know if it’s ever happened to a player before, it’s kind of a weird situation to be in on my part,” said a stunned Auger-Aliassime, who is through to the first Masters final of his career by playing just three completed matches.

Lehecka felt something in his back as he attempted a serve early in the match and took an eight-minute off-court medical timeout before play resumed at 3-3.

It was all over three points later as Lehecka fell to the ground in pain, bringing the match to an abrupt end.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening when I saw that his back blocked on him. I feel really bad for him,” said Auger-Aliassime.

“It’s crazy times for the elite of our sport, withdrawing from many events. But obviously for me it’s kind of a weird rhythm not having played that much and being in the finals. But I can just focus on the first week of tennis I had.”

RUBLEV IN ‘RIGHT DIRECTION’

Rublev reached the fifth Masters final of his career with a 6-4, 6-3 win against American Taylor Fritz.

The seventh-seeded Rublev arrived at the tournament carrying a four-match losing streak but rebounded in the Spanish capital, claiming five impressive wins, including one over world No 3 Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

“For sure mentally I was feeling much better (this week) and I was able to perform, putting emotions in the right direction, for sure that helped me to be in the final,” said Rublev.

After getting broken in the opening game, Rublev recovered immediately and won the last seven points of the first set to take the lead in 39 minutes.

A break of serve in the sixth game of the second frame was enough for the Russian to complete a 72-minute victory.

Rublev leads his head-to-head 4-1 against Auger-Aliassime but four of their five encounters have gone to a deciding set. Auger-Aliassime lost their most recent clash in Rotterdam in February after holding three match points.

“We’ve always had three-set battles, even back in 2018, I was much younger,” said the 23-year-old Canadian.

“He’s always a player that fights hard, that’s always present every tournament, us players have highs and lows but he’s always there.”

Andrey Rublev reached the fifth Masters 1000 final of his career with a 6-4, 6-3 win over American Taylor Fritz at the Madrid Open on Friday.

The seventh-seeded Rublev arrived at the tournament carrying a four-match losing streak but rebounded in the Spanish capital, claiming five impressive wins, including one over world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

“For sure mentally I was feeling much better (this week) and I was able to perform, putting emotions in the right direction, for sure that helped me to be in the final,” said Rublev.

After being broken in the opening game, Rublev recovered immediately and won the last seven points to wrap up the first set in 39 minutes.

A break of serve in the sixth game of the second set was enough for the Russian to complete a 72-minute victory and book a final clash with either Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime or Czech Jiri Lehecka.

World No 3 Carlos Alcaraz on Friday withdrew from next week’s ATP Italian Open due to a right forearm injury that sidelined him in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

The blow comes weeks away from the second Grand Slam of the season, the French Open.

“I felt some pain after playing in Madrid (he lost on Wednesday), some discomfort in my arm,” the Spaniard wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Unfortunately, I will not be able to play in Rome. I need to rest so I can recover and play 100 per cent pain free.”

On Wednesday, Alcaraz saw his title defence and 14-match winning streak in Madrid come to an with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals.

The French Open, the sole Grand Slam on clay, gets underway on May 26. Alcaraz reached last year’s semifinals.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who won the US Open in 2022 and Wimbledon last year, turns 21 on Sunday.

World No 4 Daniil Medvedev faces an anxious wait to know the full extent of an injury that forced him out of the Madrid quarterfinals on Thursday, as the Russian joined a group of top players struggling with fitness issues before the French Open.

The 28-year-old had treatment on the upper part of his right leg while leading Czech Jiri Lehecka 3-2 in the first set and again two games later. He went on to lose the set 6-4 before telling the umpire he could not continue.

“It was a return when he served and volleyed and I don’t know if I felt it on the return or on the drop shot, but when I ran, I wanted to run faster and faster during the movement, and suddenly felt my hip blocked,” Medvedev said.

“I couldn’t sprint, like when you strain a muscle or have a spasm, which is tough to know which of the two. Working with the physio, I asked if I could make it worse. He said ‘if it’s a tear, then yes. If it’s a spasm, no’.

“I tried to play and my mind wasn’t letting me to go full. At the end of the set, I was (thinking) if I want to continue, I’ll just try to sprint to the net… When I sprinted I felt pain. So I was like: no need to continue.”

Medvedev is the latest high-profile player to exit the tournament after Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner pulled out before his quarterfinal against Felix Auger Aliassime due to a hip injury.

World No 3 Carlos Alcaraz lost his quarterfinal to Andrey Rublev while managing a right forearm problem that had forced him out of Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

Medvedev is scheduled to defend his Rome title next week but he said he had no idea how long he could be out for.

“Hopefully for sure tomorrow or day after, because normally you need time, MRI to see what it is, and if it’s something five days, two weeks, I have no idea.”

The French Open begins on May 26.

Third seed Daniil Medvedev retired injured from his Madrid Open quarterfinal clash with Jiri Lehecka on Thursday, a day after Jannik Sinner was forced to withdraw from the clay-court tournament.

Russia’s Medvedev needed a medical time-out early in the last eight match and struggled through to the end of the first set with an apparent upper thigh problem, losing it 6-4 before retiring.

Czech Lehecka progressed to his first Masters 1000 semifinal, where he will face Felix Auger Aliassime, who received a walkover after top seed Sinner withdrew Wednesday with a hip problem.

“It’s never easy in a match like this,” said Lehecka.

“If I were to choose the way how to win this match, it wouldn’t be like that.

“It’s never easy to see your opponent struggling, but at that moment, you just need to focus on yourself, trying to get the maximum level out of yourself.”

Medvedev took an off-court medical timeout after the fifth game, all holds of serve, and when he returned clearly had problems moving freely around the court.

The world No 4 saved two break points to hold for a 4-3 lead as Lehecka floundered, laughing to himself at his fortune in winning the seventh game despite playing through obvious pain.

The Czech, who knocked-out Rafael Nadal on Wednesday, settled down and capitalised on Medvedev’s woes to break in the ninth game for a 5-4 lead, serving it out as his opponent went long.

Medvedev won just four of the last 16 points before deciding to call it a night, with fans left disappointed. The other men’s quarterfinal set for Thursday had been cancelled after Sinner’s withdrawal.

The 28-year-old Medvedev is the defending champion at the Italian Open, which starts next week, while the French Open, the season’s second Grand Slam event, gets under way in just over three weeks’ time.

Taylor Fritz will face Andrey Rublev in the other semifinal on Friday, after the Russian ousted home favourite Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday.