Rafael Nadal will play for the 14th French Open title, but he did not want to go to the final that way.
On June 3, Nadal was celebrating his 36th birthday.
He was looking to win another Roland-Garros at the Court Philippe-Chatriere.
He was locked in an absorbing semi-final contest with Alexander Zverev.
But Zverev could not continue because of an injury to his right ankle.
Nadal immediately ran to his opponent in the baseline and the German was eventually assisted from the court in a wheelchair.
Even, Nadal's long term career has been hampered by serious injuries.
In addition to bidding for the 14th trophy from the French Open, Nadal could claim his 22nd Grand Slam title.
Zverev was the runner-up at the U.S. Open two years ago.
Zverev won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, but is still seeking his first major title.
There’s also this on the line for Nadal in Sunday’s final against Casper Ruud.
The 23-year-old Ruud never has faced Nadal but trained at the King of Clay's academy in Mallorca.