Rafael Nadal: 'If everything goes right in Paris, I will compete at the ATP Finals'

After conquering the 20th Major crown at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal is eager to chase tennis glory in Paris and London in the next couple of weeks. After a suitable rest from the great Roland Garros campaign, Rafa started practicing on an indoor court at his Academy, preparing for the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals, two out of four most notable titles he has never won. After a plagued season that saw him competing at only a couple of tournaments before November, the Spaniard is determined to chase trophies in his least favorable conditions under the roof, reaching finals at both events in the past but never heading all the way. Rafa made a debut in Paris in 2007, advancing into the title match but winning only four games against David Nalbandian to take the runner-up prize. Suffering many injuries in the post-US Open months over the years, Nadal was never the favorite on an indoor hard court, reaching three more semi-finals in the French capital but never fighting for the title again.

Twelve months ago, Rafa advanced into the semi-final following a victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, withdrawing with an abdominal injury ahead of Denis Shapovalov clash but earning valuable points in the year-end no. 1 battle against Novak Djokovic. After proper and well-deserved rest, Rafa will seek back-to-back crowns in the French capital following the celebrated Roland Garros success, standing as the top seed after the defending champion Novak Djokovic decided to skip Paris. Rafa will be the 2nd seed at the ATP Finals in London, qualifying for the premium ATP event for the 16th straight year and hoping to fight for the crown against the names like Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem. Rafa lost the final in 2010 to Roger Federer and another one in 2013 to Novak Djokovic, competing in London only thrice after that year due to injuries.

Rafael Nadal has never won Paris Masters or the ATP Finals.

Nadal has played only five tournaments in 2020. Spending six months at home due to the pandemic, Nadal stayed away from the court in March and April, starting to practice in May and not liking New York conditions ahead of Cincinnati and the US Open. The Spaniard skipped both events, keeping 2000 points for the US Open and setting his eyes on Rome and Roland Garros. Rafa lost to Diego Schwartzman in the Italian capital quarters and entered uncharted territories in Paris, dealing with cold and rainy weather and a roof above Philippe-Chatrier. Standing above all the obstacles and opponents, Nadal claimed the 13th Roland Garros crown, never dropping a set and joining Roger Federer on 20 Major trophies. 

"I'm here to play my best and not to think about injuries. When I go to a tournament, I focus on trying to play my best tennis. Not worry about if I got injured in the past that can happen again. We are indeed in different circumstances than in previous years. Still, you need to take care of the situation and be ready to accept any inconvenience. If nothing happens in Paris, I will compete at the ATP Finals. It is part of the history of our game. It's an important event and a gathering of the best players of the season. I like to play tennis, so I like to play a bit more than two tournaments every six or seven months, no? So it's nothing new that I played well after a while without playing tennis; I did it in the past. That confirms that I can do it. But I hope next year we can have a more usual calendar and I can play some more tennis," Rafael Nadal said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2TQ24wO