Rafa Nadal returned to the circuit, but not as expected. The Spaniard fell by surprise against Tommy Paul
The 36-year-old Balearic tennis player feels uncompetitive after his defeat in Paris-Bercy
Rafael Nadal’s return to the circuit did not go as expected by the former world number 1 who lost to Tommy Paul by 3-6, 7-6 (4) and 6-1. The Balearic tennis player has acknowledged having played “uhorrible match”. The defeat will not prevent him from being in the ATP Finals that take place in Turin from November 13 to 20 among the eight best tennis players of the 2022 season.
Rafael Nadal and Paris. The two sides of the same coin.
✅ At Roland Garros, everything.
❌ In Paris-Bercy, nothing.
Out on his debut after falling vs Tommy Paul ??.
pic.twitter.com/xmyjgcWF93— BATennis (@BATennisOK) November 2, 2022
“I have nothing to lose by being in the Masters Cup,” he announced despite acknowledging that he lacks pace and more games to be competitive. Since he won his first Roland Garros he has always been qualified to play the tournament that closes the season, although due to his injuries he has not been able to play on many occasions. Nadal wants to be in Turin.
“I hope to be (said Nadal smiling). Yes, nothing happens, I hope to be there. I’m excited to play, although it hasn’t been the perfect months for me, of course. But I’m going there with nothing to lose after a good year, I want to go there and do my best. “You never know when the last game will be, especially at my age”he said, insisting that he lives tennis “day by day”.
Few options in Turin
On his options in Turin he was realistic. “It’s hard for me to imagine now coming to the ATP Finals in enough form to win a tournament like this that I haven’t won in my entire career. To play against the best players in the world from day one, you need to be there with pace. competition and that’s not going to happen”, he admitted after his early defeat in Paris, which could make him lose his number 2 position if Casper Ruud either Stefanos Tsitsipas they win the French Masters 1,000.
Nadal valued the season as “a good year” despite the fact that he has been away from the circuit for five months due to his injuries. Champion of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Acapulco and Melbourne, His wish is to end the year with the best feelings. “Not just racing, but being on tour and training with the other guys. “That’s what I need, now. Give me the opportunity to enjoy one more Master. You never know when it will be the last, especially at my age. I will make sure to enjoy it and next season I will fight to come back here.”
Nadal He arrived with several mental and physical questions in Paris: he was a new father on October 8 and had not competed in singles since he fell in the round of 16 at the US Open two months ago against the American Frances Tiafoe. However, he did not want to make excuses for his defeat. “This is always the same. If you play well, you win, if you don’t, you lose. There were times when I was playing well, but not in the key moments,” he analyzed.