Rafael Nadal: 'I will not let myself be defeated by any injury'

Rafael Nadal recently won Roland Garros for the 13th time in his career, however, without giving up a single set along the way. By demolishing Novak Djokovic in the final, the Spaniard sealed his 100th victory in Paris, as well as equaling the 20 Grand Slam record of his eternal rival Roger Federer. The former world number 1 will compete in the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy as the only preparation event for the ATP Finals in London. The 34-year-old Majorcan has never won the title in Bercy and his best result remains the final reached in 2007. Rafa hit the semifinals in three other editions, including last year, when an abdominal injury prevented him from taking the field against Denis Shapovalov. The location of the tournament certainly does not facilitate the task of Nadal, who almost never showed up fresh at Gare de Lyon. At a press conference on Sunday, the 20-time Grand Slam champion said he feels ready to play his best tennis and is not worried about past injuries.

Nadal targets ATP Tour Finals

“I don't think about injuries when I come to a tournament, because otherwise I wouldn't be playing. When I arrive at a tournament, I try to display my best tennis, not to be scared by the worries of the past, the injuries that I may have had," Rafael Nadal said. Nadal also touched upon the unusual situation this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and assured everyone that he was ready to adapt to anything that came his way. "It's true, the circumstances are different compared to previous years. You have to adapt to the situation, be ready to accept any inconvenience. I am ready to show my best tennis, I will not let myself be defeated by any injury or fear of injury," Nadal added. After drawing alongside the absent Roger Federer on 20 grand slam titles last month, Nadal was coy about his plans, but he was smiling broadly across town in Bercy on Sunday, where he handed Denis Shapovalov a walkover in the semi-finals last year. “I didn’t confirm after Roland Garros because my goal was to play there under my best conditions,” he said. “I didn’t make any plans [for] after that. I needed to come back home and speak with the team and my family. We made the decision together, the best schedule possible for today and for the future. We are living under unpredictable and difficult circumstances, so it is difficult to plan a lot of things. I am just trying to be flexible and adapt myself to the conditions.”

 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3mE253k