Rafael Nadal: I'm not returning for Paris Masters and ATP Finals to fight Carlos Alcaraz for world No. 1
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Updated 01/11/2022 at 14:50 GMT
Rafael Nadal has only played the Laver Cup since losing in the fourth round of the US Open, but will be back in action this week at the Paris Masters. Nadal, 36, has a chance to finish as year-end No. 1 ahead of Carlos Alcaraz if he performs well in Paris and at the ATP Finals in Turin. He has spoken about the world No. 1 position and leaving his new-born son at home.
'You start missing him' - Nadal finding it 'tough to leave home' and baby
Rafael Nadal says he has not returned to the tour to battle Carlos Alcaraz for the world No. 1 spot, but to be “competitive” at every event he plays.
Nadal, 36, has only played Laver Cup doubles alongside Roger Federer since losing in the fourth round of the US Open in early September.
It was not known whether he would play again this season as he battled an abdominal injury in the summer and recently became a father for the first time.
However, he is playing this week’s Paris Masters and has a shot at becoming year-end No. 1.
To do that he would likely need a good week in Paris – one of two Masters events he has never won, along with Miami – and also at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
"To be clear, I will not fight anymore to be No. 1," said Nadal ahead of his opening match on Wednesday against either Tommy Paul or Roberto Bautista Agut.
"I did in the past. I achieved that goal a couple of times in my career and I have been very, very happy and proud about achieving that.
"But I am in a moment of my tennis career that I don't fight to be No. 1. I just fight to keep being competitive in every event that I play."
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Nadal became world No. 1 for the first time in the summer of 2008 and has finished five seasons top of the rankings, the same as Roger Federer.
Reflecting on his decision to play and leave his new-born son, Nadal said: "It has always been difficult to leave home, to be honest. Now it's different again.
"After only three weeks knowing him you start missing him. It’s a new experience, all the changes are difficult in this life and you need to adapt to it, but we are lucky today with technology we can make video calls any time we want, so that helps.”
Nadal has made the semi-finals in his two previous appearances at the Paris Masters in 2019 and 2020.
He has only won two titles on indoor hard courts (2005 Madrid and 2019 Davis Cup) and he has a 22-23 win-loss record against top-10 players on the surface.
Asked about his fitness coming into the tournament in Paris, where he has won the French Open 14 times, he said: "I'm good, I’m happy to be on the tour again, in a city very important for me, as everyone knows.
“Let's see on the competitive level how I manage. In older bodies like my one, it's easier to know how the things are going when you are playing tournaments in a row.
"When you are coming back from a period of time outside of competition, it's difficult to know how you're going to be playing, how your body is going to respond because it's obvious that the tour level is different."
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