Photo: Rafa Nadal’s Facebook

ARTICLES:

• Nadal Seeks ATP Year-End No. 1 History (via ATP)

… The Spaniard is looking to become the first player on the ATP World Tour to twice regain the year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking after losing it. Nadal finished on top in 2008 and 2010 and is in prime position to do so for a third time when he competes in London. Coming into London, Nadal has reached the final at 13 of the 15 tournaments he’s played this year, lifting 10 trophies along the way.

• Incredible Rafael Nadal ready to storm the history books (via Independent)

… Victory in London’s ATP World Tour Finals would reinforce his status as game’s greatest player.

• Watch List: No. 1 ranking on the line at season-ending ATP World Tour Finals (via tennis.si.com)

• ATP World Tour Finals 2013: favourable draw sets Rafael Nadal up for a final flourish in comeback season (via The Telegraph)

… “I can’t remember a comeback like it in tennis,” says Boris Becker, who will be commentating on this week’s events at the O₂ for Sky Sports. “And maybe in no other sport. This time last year, everybody wondered whether Rafa can come back at all. If you had told us he would be the player of the year, win two grand slams and eight other tournaments, we would have bet anything we had that this wouldn’t happen.”

• Growing support for speeding up surfaces (via tennis.com)

… Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley and Shanghai tournament director Charles Smith come out in favor of faster surfaces. Tiley told The New York Times that in general courts have become too slow.

• ATP World finals 2013: Mark Petchey’s guide to the final eight (via The Telegraph)
• Rafael Nadal: Has Fall Fatigue Set in Again for World No. 1? (via bleacherreport.com)

… Over the course of his career, Rafael Nadal has notched tournament victories at a prolific pace, having won 60 titles since 2004. However, of those, only three have been captured after the year’s final Grand Slam, the U.S. Open (Tokyo in 2010, and Madrid and Beijing in 2005), for a shockingly low statistic considering all he has accomplished.

• 2013 World Tour Finals Forecast (via heavytopspin.com)

VIDEOS:

• Rafael Nadal practicing with Filip Peliwo at Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (via 10sballs_com Instagram)
• Boris Becker previews the action at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Note: Rafa and other players practice in the background of the video (via Facebook)
• Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Gala (via YouTube)
• ATP Paris – Top 10 Hot Shot Countdown (via TennisTV) R2: Nadal v Granollers (1:20)

PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal Practices In London