The 22-time Major champion Rafael Nadal is in Turin, seeking the most notable title he misses in his collection. Rafa made an early exit at the Paris Masters and intended to come to Turin early and prepare for the ATP Finals.
Nadal will play at the ATP Finals for the 11th time, standing on a mediocre 20-16 score and never finding the winning formula at the premium indoor event. The Spaniard skipped many ATP Finals events due to injuries, and his best runs came in 2010 and 2013 when he lost finals to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Also, he was the semi-finalist four times, including his last visit to London in 2020, when he had a massive chance to beat Daniil Medvedev. Rafa is still in the year-end no. 1 contention, standing 1000 points behind Carlos Alcaraz and needing a deep run in Turin to pass the young compatriot and collect his sixth year-end no.
1 honor. Nadal missed the last year’s ATP Finals and looks eager to compete next week despite an abdominal injury. Rafa skipped the second part of 2021 and made a fresh start this year to return to where he belongs.
Rafael Nadal has arrived in Turin.
The Spaniard conquered the Australian Open and Roland Garros and reached the Wimbledon semi-final.
Instead of chasing the third consecutive Major crown, Nadal withdrew ahead of the Nick Kyrgios clash due to a seven-millimeter abdominal tear. He lost the ground, and we are yet to see Rafa at his best four months later! Nadal skipped Toronto and lost in the Cincinnati second round.
He won three matches at the US Open, but the pain prevented him from serving at his best. Frances Tiafoe toppled Nadal in four sets in the fourth round, and it was the Spaniard’s last singles match until the last week. Rafa returned at the Paris Masters and experienced a 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 loss to Tommy Paul in two hours and 32 minutes in the second round.
Nadal was a set and a break in front before Paul bounced back in the second set and claimed it in the tie break. Struggling physically, Nadal faded from the court in the decider, losing serve three times and hitting the exit door.
Rafa will be the top seed in Turin after Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal, and he needs to reach the final at least to stand a chance in the year-end no. 1 battle.
