Oops! Rafael Nadal Tweets that Nelson Mandela Died

Tenía información equivocada y por ahora #NelsonMandela no nos ha dejado. Ojalá este con nosotros mucho tiempo, lo que hizo estará siempre.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 10, 2013

When you have 4 million followers, it's best to be sure of something before you tweet it. While us mere mortals can get away with the odd tweet that turns out to be untrue, for a star like Rafael Nadal, a mistake can be mortifying. That was the case when Rafael Nadal tweeted the death of Nelson Mandela. "Today we lost one of the most important and relevant people in our world. Rest in peace Nelson Mandela", the French Open champ wrote.

Nadal quickly rectified his mistake after learning the former South African president is currently in a stable condition in hospital with a lung condition. 

"I had false information and for now Nelson Mandela hasn't left us," wrote Nadal. "Let's hope he is with us for our long time. What's he has done will be remembered forever."

Whoops! Don't worry Rafa, we know you're human like the rest of us. Or perhaps it is your PR person who should be apologising for the error!

Video: Shirtless Protestors Cause Fire at the French Open Finals

Three masked and shirtless protesters for same sex marriage rights created quite a scare today at the French Open final between Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer.  Somehow it appears, they made their way to the pit behind the cameras and jumped the wall.  One protester had a lit a flame which caused a fire in the walkway to the locker rooms as he was being apprehended.  Security promptly secured Rafael Nadal's safety (David Ferrer was on the other side of the net), and then put out the fire with an extinguisher.

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Roland Garros '13 Fashion: Hits and Misses

It feels like forever since I've sat down to analyse the most important factor in Grand Slam tennis: the fashion. But it is time for me to cast my eyes over what the stars are wearing at what is usually the least fashionable Grand Slam. Perhaps it's the awkward coloured clay, or maybe nobody feels they can look as good as the French so they don't bother trying. Who knows.

Originally Rachel was going to do her own reviews as well, but then life got in the way. Hopefully she will be able to join me for Wimbledon, but until then you're stuck with me. I'm going to start with the girls and then move onto the boys. First up is Serena Williams.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe When I first saw Serena's outfit I thought that it was nice, but hadn't I seen it before? Turns out, the grey/orange colour combo is pretty popular with Serena and Nike. She wore similar colour combinations at the French Open 2010 and at Rome this year. So forgive me if I'm not overawed by it this time around. I do, however, like the structure of the dress. The top half manages to be both modest and flattering before giving way to an empire line. I possibly would like to see just a little more length on this dress, but it's merely a matter of inches. Otherwise, a solid if predictable job from Nike and Serena.

7/10

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Highlights from the French Open 2013 Day 1 & 2

DAY 1

Lleyton Hewitt never fails to bring a good show, and that he did yesterday against Frenchman Gilles Simon.  Not only did it go to 5 sets, but Rusty came back from 5-0 in the 5th to bring it to 5-5, but it ended up being all too much for the former #1 and Gilles prevailed 7-5 in the 5th.  And the sweetest part?  Gilles gave his flowers to his mother, (it was Mothers' day in France), apologizing for the rollercoaster he put her through during this match.

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Video: Nadal, Federer, Williams, and Sharapova Play in the Dark

Now get your minds out of the gutter!!! Actually, I WISH that it was something raunchy as good as these 4 look....but this video from Nike titled, "Kings of the Lights in Paris" will do in a pinch.  Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova played a little tennis under a black light in Paris.  Pretty cool idea.  I wonder if Serena was able to get a Rafa butt squeeze in when the lights went out! LOL.  Enjoy!

Tweets of The Week: Boston, Adam Scott, and Clay Court Prowess...

It was a big news week this week, with lots of tragedy mixed in with sporting victories. The Boston Marathon bombings and subsequent man hunt certainly dominated the news. Tennis players were just as horrified as the rest of us, and many shared their thoughts on Twitter. However, if we searched through all the tweets dedicated to Boston we would have a enough Tweets of the Week posts for a year! Here's a small selection.

All my Support to all affected in the #Boston attack. A tragedy that should not occur again.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 16, 2013

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Photos: Ground-Breaking Ceremony for the Indian Wells Tennis Garden Expansion

Today was the official ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.  The expansion will include a permanent Stadium 2 featuring 8,000 seats and two restaurants to overlook both the court with a view of the Santa Rosa Mountains, marquee site entrance from Washington Street, a new shade structure, four new practice courts, and parking for an additional 2,000 cars!  Holy Moly!!!

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Novak Djokovic, and Ana Ivanovic were all out to participate in the event.  Vika and Fed even gave a little speech!  Photos after the jump!  Enjoy! 

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