Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi: 25 of the best sports images of the week

We pick out the most spectacular pictures from the last seven days

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  Israel Start-Up Nation rider Michael Woods heads for the finishing line to win Stage 4 of the Tour de Romandie with Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers on the ground after crashing, on Saturday, May 1. PA

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  Brett Howden, of the New York Rangers, tumbles over New York Islanders' Semyon Varlamov at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, April 29. The Islanders won the NHL match 4-0. Reuters

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  Ground staff at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium watch the action during day 3 of the second Test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Kandy, on Saturday, May 1. AFP

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  Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku during his team's 1-0 Serie A victory over Verona at the San Siro on Sunday, April 25.

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  Cori Gauff, of the US, during her first-round defeat against the Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova at the Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on Friday, April 30. Getty

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  Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani shoots for goal in their 6-2 Europa League semi-final, first leg victory over Roma at Old Trafford, on Thursday, April 29. AFP

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  Jack Henry, of the Geelong Cats, competes for the ball against Sydney Swans' Callum Sinclair during the AFL match at Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, May 1. Getty

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  Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel takes a soaking in the rain during his team's 1-1 Champions League semi-final, first leg draw against Real Madrid at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, on Tuesday, April 27. Reuters

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  More than 600 surfers take part in a world record attempt paddle out at 'The Farm' National Surfing Reserve on the New South Wales south coast in Australia, on Saturday, May 1. EPA

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  Athletic Bilbao's Inigo Martinez heads home his team's second goal in their 2-1 La Liga win over Atletico Madrid at the Estadio de San Mames on Sunday, April 25. Reuters

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  Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates with the traditional pool dive after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the Barcelona Open on Sunday, April 25. Reuters

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  Middlesex bowler Steven Finn unsuccessfully appeals for the wicket of Somerset's Tom Abell during day 2 of the County Championship match at the County Ground on Friday, April 30. Getty

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  Everton's Rikke Sevecke tangles with Martha Thomas of West Ham United during the Women's Super League match at the Chigwell Construction Stadium in London on Sunday, April 25. Reuters

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  Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Matt Joyce catches a fly ball from New York Mets' James McCann during the MLB game at Citizens Bank Park, on Friday, April 30. Phillies won the game 2-1. AP

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  Left to right, Manuele Boaro, Alexis Gougeard, Thymen Arensman, Filippo Conca, Joel Suter and Robert Power during the Stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie, a 168 km race between Aigle and Martigny, in Chamoson, Switzerland, on Wednesday, April 28. EPA

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  Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo during his team's Serie A draw with Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday, April 25. Reuters

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  Surfer Vincent Schneider rides an artificial wave in the "Alaia Bay" wavepool in Sion, Switzerland, on Tuesday, April 27. EPA

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  Sao Paulo's Igor Gomes during his team's 2-0 Copa Libertadores group-stage victory over Rentistas at the at Morumbi Stadium on Thursday, April 29. AFP

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  Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton during practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix at Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve on Friday, April 30. Getty

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  Nottinghamshire's Stuart Broad bowls to Tom Wood of Derbyshire during the County Championship match at the County Ground on Friday, April 30. Getty

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  American Venus Williams serves to Jennifer Brady during their match at the Madrid Open on Friday, April 30. Brady won the game 6-2, 6-4. AP

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  Milwaukee Brewers' Kolten Wong scores from third on a ball hit by Luke Maile during the eighth inning of the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Miller Park on Friday, April 30. Brewers won the match 3-1. AP

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  Barcelona's Lionel Messi looks dejected after Jorge Molina scored Granada's winning goal in their 2-1 La Liga victory on Thursday, April 29. Reuters

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  The peloton during Stage 2 of the Tour de Romandie, a 165.7 km race between La Neuveville and Saint-Imier, in Switzerland on Thursday, April 29. EPA

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  ACT Brumbies' Tom Wright scores a try during the Super Rugby AU semi-final against Western Force at the GIO Stadium in Canberra , on Saturday, May 1. Getty

The relentless clay-court machine that is Rafael Nadal was at it again this week, as the Spaniard sealed his 12th Barcelona Open title.

Nadal defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 on Sunday, even saving a championship match point along the way.

Afterwards, the 34-year-old said that the gruelling win over Tsitsipas would serve him well for the rest of a red-clay season that could see Nadal secure a record-extending 14th French Open title.

We are down to the last four in European club football's two biggest tournaments and the first legs of the Europa and Champions League ties took place this week.

In the latter, Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 home draw by Chelsea, while Manchester City earned a superb 2-1 victory away to Paris Saint-Germain.

On Thursday, Manchester United blew away Roma 6-2 at Old Trafford in the Europa League, while Villarreal hold a slender advantage over Arsenal after winning 2-1 in Spain. The second legs in both competitions take place this week.

We have picked out 25 stunning images in the photo gallery above. To move on to the next picture click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.