Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal LIVE: French Open updates from heavyweight clash

In a battle of the titans, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal face off on the main court at Roland Garros, each bidding to progress to the semi-final stage of the competition. Both men have been hotly-tipped as the favourites to go on and win the tournament, with Djokovic the current holder of the title after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final 12 months ago.

The build-up to the encounter has been laden with speculation, with many fans and pundits alike placing the fitness of Nadal firmly under the microscope due to the Spanish star's ongoing injury concerns. The duo, who have won 41 Grand Slam titles between them, continue their rivalry with a men's record 59th meeting in competition tennis.

The match starts at 7.45pm UK time in the Court Philippe-Chatrier night session, and Djokovic has already been talking up his chances ahead of the showpiece match-up. Speaking in his pre-match conference on Monday, Djokovic confidently told reporters: "I like the way I've been feeling, the way I'm hitting the ball. I'm ready.

When it comes down to current form, Djokovic looks back to his ruthless best and has so far won all four of his French Open matches in straight sets. Meanwhile, Nadal had to dig deep and grind in order to win a deciding fifth set to navigate past Canadian ninth seed Felix Auger Aliassime on Sunday, to book his spot in the quarters.

While Nadal is world-renowned when it comes to playing on a clay surface, the Spanish champion has admitted that evening match slots don't sit well with him and can cause issues during play. Nadal said: "I don't like night sessions on clay. I don't like to play on clay during the night because the humidity is higher, the ball is slower, and there can be very heavy conditions,