At this point in Rafael Nadal’s career, he is most eager for one particular spectator to get to watch him play: His 1-year-old son. As the start of the French Open approaches on Sunday, no one knows with any certainty how much longer the clay-court tournament’s 14-time champion will try to compete after a series of injuries limited Nadal’s ability to play for most of 2023 and 2024. Plenty of other tennis players have vivid recollections of seeing Nadal display his relentless excellence. That includes some who have been on the other side of the net for at least one of his 1,299 professional matches.
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