Rafael Nadal returns to the court this week for the Paris Masters. The 33-year-old has been out of action since the Laver Cup. He injured his wrist at the tournament and took a break to recover. The Spaniard’s last singles tournament was at the US Open. He won the tournament to take his Grand Slam tally to nineteen titles. He will return to competitive singles action for the first time since his wedding to Xisca Perello.
We threw a great party
The couple tied the knot on 19th October. The ceremony took place at the La Fortaleza estate in Nadal’s hometown of Manacor. The Spaniard has revealed that the wedding was a huge success. The current world number two said the day was special for him and Xisca. He added that the guests had a good time. The couple threw a great party after the ceremony. Rafa says that he has adjusted quickly to the married life since he had dated Xisca for 15 years. The Spaniard will begin his campaign in Bercy against Adrian Mannarino.
Nadal vs. Mannarino
Nadal and Mannarino have played each other once in their careers. The two met in the second round of the China Open in 2016. The world No.2 won the match in Beijing 6-1 7-6. The Frenchman has a 30-30 win-loss record for the season. The 31-year-old is currently 43rd in the ATP rankings. He reached the final of the Kremlin Cup this month but lost to Andrey Rublev. The French man defeated Casper Ruud to qualify for the second round in Paris. Nadal will be playing his first indoors match of the season. He has a 47-6 win-loss record in 2019. The Spaniard will be the favorite to win his second meeting with Mannarino. Predictions for the match have Nadal winning the match in two sets.
While Nadal has never won the title at the Paris Masters, a win would see him end the year at the number one position. Victory at the tournament will see him finish the year at the position for the fifth time in his career. He is currently in a battle for the position with Novak Djokovic. Rafa leads the Serbian by 1280 points on the ATP leader’s rankings. He will move to the number one position after the tournament. Djokovic will also play in Paris. The race for the number one position will continue at the ATP Finals in London next month.
Rafael Nadal’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.2, Rafael played his last match on the 8th of September when he overcame Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-4 in the final in U.S. Open to win his 84th career title.
This year Nadal has a 47-6 win-loss record. Rafael clinched 4 titles in 2019 in Rome, at the French Open, in Montreal and at the U.S. Open. Rafael was the finalist at the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic’s ranking and performance in 2019
Currently ranked no.1, Djokovic played his last match on the 11th of October when he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 7-5 6-3 in the quarter in Shanghai.
This year Djokovic has a 48-9 win-loss record. Djokovic conquered 4 titles in 2019 at the Australian Open, in Madrid, in Wimbledon and in Tokyo. The Serbian was the finalist in Rome.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic played each other 54 times. The head to head is 28-26 for Djokovic.
The last time that they played each other, Rafael Nadal won 6-0 4-6 6-1 in the final in Rome on the 19th May 2019.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic |
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