Nadal says his injury is not big, but this is why he fear he will not play the ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic and Denis Shapovalov played in the final of the Paris Masters on Sunday. Djokovic won the match to clinch his fifth title in Bercy. Denis went through to the final after Rafael Nadal withdrew from their semifinal match on Saturday. The Spaniard suffered an abdominal injury in practice and decided to withdraw from the tournament.

Nadal hopes for a quick recovery

While relaying the news to journalists, Nadal expressed his disappointment at having to withdraw after playing well in Paris. He stated that he would not risk aggravating the injury which will require further tests to find out the extent of the damage. Early tests on the injury had not been conclusive because there was some fluid around the muscles. However, he revealed that the doctors did not view it as a big injury. But with one week to the ATP Finals in London, Rafa said he would not guarantee a full recovery before the finals. The Spaniard hinted that he may sit out the tournament. “I really hope it’s nothing too big.  But of course, if it’s big enough to not be 100% recovered for in one week, it’s a chance.”

Another late-season injury

The Spaniard said he would not focus on the negatives after suffering another injury towards the end of the season. Nadal has never won the Paris Masters and has a poor record at Indoor championships. He has won two Indoor titles in his career. Despite the latest setback, the 33-year-old revealed that he had enjoyed his time at the tournament. He felt that he had played good matches in his victories at the tournament and was feeling good about his fitness before the injury. He moved to the number one ranking after the tournament. The Spaniard will hope to recover in time for next week’s season-ending tournament and defend the position against Djokovic.

Nadal only 640 points ahead of Djokovic in the rankings

Djokovic now trails Rafa by 640 points after his victory in Bercy. The Serbian can wrestle back the number one position from Nadal if he wins the finals in London. The tournament will add 1500 points to the winner’s ranking tally. If the Spaniard struggles and Djokovic makes it to the final, he could end the year at number one for the sixth time in his career. Nadal, on the other hand, is looking for his fifth end of year number one ranking which would tie Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Jim Connors records.

Rafael Nadal’s ranking and performance in 2019

Currently the world no.1, Nadal played his last match on the 2^nd of November when he conceded the walk over to Denis Shapovalov in the semifinal in Paris.

This year Nadal has a 50-6 win-loss record. Nadal clinched 4 titles in 2019 in Rome, at the French Open, in Montreal and at the U.S. Open. Nadal was the finalist at the Australian Open.