Rafael Nadal has had much to celebrate since returning to his favourite European clay last month after enduring what has been the most traumatic year of his tennis life.
Of all the statistics churned out during a triumphant Masters Series sequence which stretched through Monte Carlo, Rome and then Madrid last weekend, the one which will surely please the rehabilitated Spaniard most is the number 6,880.
That is Nadal's latest rolling total of ATP rankings points accumulated over the past 12 injury-interrupted months.
It takes him back ahead of Serbia's Novak Djokovic to No 2 in the world, guaranteeing that he cannot meet Roger Federer, the world No 1, until the final of the forthcoming French Open at Roland Garros.
The two top names in the men's game have enjoyed a fascinating, friendly and, above all, respectful rivalry since the emerging Nadal stunned Federer, the Wimbledon champion, in an early round of the Miami tournament in 2004.
Nadal has gone on to notch up 13 more victories over the Swiss, 12 of them in finals of important events all around the world.
It would have been a travesty if the undisputed King of Clay - he was unbeaten at Roland Garros from his debut in 2005 to his shock fourth-round defeat by Robin Soderling last year - had been drawn in Federer's half of the 128-man field for the second grand slam tournament of the year.
Federer would also have dreaded that possibility of a premature reunion with his nemesis as he prepares to defend what proved to be, until Nadal's injury problems of last summer, the most difficult to win of his 16 grand slam titles.
A 22nd showdown in Court Philippe Chatrier on June 6 between the pair who have dominated men's tennis for the past decade is far from a certainty, as Soderling famously demonstrated last year, but it is a much more appealing prospect than a semi-final tussle.
@Email:wjohnson@thenational.ae
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Traces%20of%20Enayat
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Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
THE%20SPECS
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Racecard
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WTL%20SCHEDULE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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PETER%20PAN%20%26%20WENDY
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
