The BNP Paribas Masters Paris draw is out, and Rafael Nadal has a bye in the first round. The World No. 1 is seeded first at the tournament. He will play the winner of the match between Mischa Zverev and Hyeon Chung in the second round.
Our champ is joined by fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the top half of the draw, with second seed Roger Federer projected to face off against third seed Marin Cilic in the other semifinal.
Rafa’s potential route to the final:
- 1st round: Bye
- 2nd round: Mischa Zverev or Hyeon Chung
- 3rd round: Albert Ramos-Vinolas
- Quarter-final: Pablo Carreno Busta
- Semi-final: Alexander Zverev or Grigor Dimitrov
- Final: Roger Federer
Projected quarterfinals:
- Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta
- Alexander Zverev vs Grigor Dimitrov
- David Goffin vs Marin Cilic
- Dominic Thiem vs Roger Federer
UPDATE: Roger Federer has withdrawn from the Paris Masters to focus on the ATP World Tour finals in London. Rafa needs just one more win – either in Paris or at the season-ending ATP World Tour finals in London – to seal the No 1 spot.
GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!
I was so depressed I didn’t visit the website since Rafa lost first set to Roger in Shanghai..hoping Rafa wud bt Roger at wtf wid Toni and moya around.god bless Rafa to win Paris Masters and bt Roger to win wtf
VAMOS & OLA & BONJOUR SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 🙂
Have a beautiful day and a beautiful tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 😉 🙂 🙂 it is going to be a great match for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 : ) : ) : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) Very happy for you dear Rafa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) ENJOY EVERYTHING & KEEP SMILING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) 🙂 : ) 🙂 🙂 Lots of love & happiness & have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) XOXOXOXO
Here is my take. Roger withdrawal give nadal a great chance of winning paris. He never won this tournament before. But honestly i dont believe that roger has a back injury. He just wants to give the nr 1 spot to nadal as a favor. He knows propably deep in his heart that roger is the real nr 1 because he has beaten nadal four times this year preventing rafa from writing history.
I dont believe that roger will claim the nr 1 spot next year. The reason for it is that this year for roger was so expectional great that it will be impossible for him to repeat it next year. Also because his big rival djokovic who unlike rafa knows how to beat roger will come back stronger and will be a threat to both rafa and roger. And then you have off course murray.
Roger is saving his energy for the wtf where he probably will beat rafa again in the final. So i really hope he will face a suprise defeat before the final
When it comes to rafa. Winning Paris will reduce the nr of master series title he didnt win to only 2
namely Miami and Sjanghai.
But Rafa can only win the wtf if he finds out a way to beat roger
Nadal Federer h2h 23-15. Rafa has beaten Federer in the past, when hardly anyone else could. I feel certain that he will do it again. Rafa will be the real number one. He has played consistently throughout the year, not cherry picking the events that he could win, unlike Federer. Using your logic, was Nadal was the real number one when he was consistently beating Federer, whilst Federer according to the ranking was number one?
I don’t think Federer does favours for anyone. He knew it would be a fight for the year end number 1 position and he badly wants to win the World Tour Finals. He knows that he can no longer play so many tournaments close together. If he had fought to win in Paris he would have damaged his chances for the WTF’s.
Vamos Rafa.
Roger the real no.1? What nonsense! Do you know that in 2006, Rafa beat Fed four times, and ended the year 4-2 against Fed and Fed was YE no.1? Why? Because Fed had the most ranking points in that year! Do you think deep down Fed was thinking that Rafa was the real no.1 back then???
Whoever won the most points will be the real no.1. Unlike the WTA, the ATP no.1 is usually one that has won at least one slam during the season – Murray in 2016 won one slam but he’s the YE no.1 because he won the most points during the season, not Djoko who won two slams but had fewer points.
Moreover, Rafa had done better than Fed at the slams, played all four, won two, reached final of another and R4 of another. Fed played three, won two and reached only QF of the third.
In terms of Masters won, Rafa won two Masters, reached two more finals and may have the chance to win another; Fed won three and reached final of another. Rafa was also doing better at the 500 events – won two and reached another final; vs Fed’s two titles plus one R2 (Dubai).
Even if Fed really wins the WTF, I don’t think he is the best player this season, because he avoids playing in some part of the season where he has no chances of winning titles, to conserve his energy, and concentrated on playing on those surfaces that he had better chances of winning titles.
He may be smart in his scheduling, but that’s because he has reached the stage in his long career where he need not be penalized for not playing a full season, so he can pick and choose where he wants to play and where he doesn’t.
If Im not wrong, Rafa can also do so come next season, when he’ll be 32, played > 600 matches and being > 12 years in the tour.
I agree. Enough with the nonsense.
Rafa earned his World No. 1 title. No on GAVE him anything. Should he end 2017 as No. 1, I will be delighted for him.
Rafa played all seasons which is a plus, unlike Fed who chose not to play the clay season. Rafa should get the Best Player of the Year Award. STUPENDOUS.
Furthermore, I couldn’t be happier for Rafa for what he has accomplished this year. And he has given so much.
RAFA ROCKS #16, #10, #10, #10
Of course, there have been several matches this year we would have hoped Rafa to win, Aus Open being the main one. 😕 R. Garros cheered us up, stupendo ! 😃👑 US Open super. We are pleased for Roger that he has had a good surge this year but like you say it may well not happen next year. I have my ticket for Paris Bercy tomorrow, can t wait to see Rafa, ☺saw him there for the first time in 2015 and luckily he won his match. You see the players close up there, for us women it is just as good as seeing the match. 😉 Fiona in Paris
mjus,
I do not even for one moment think that RF would give up any chances to win any points to give Rafa year end no.1 status, especially since that would be recond breaking for oldest man in tennis. Now Rafa holds that record so please do not take it away from Rafa and give it to RF who certainly does ot have a grain of generosity in his soul, likewise all other tennis players.
WAMOS WAMOS WAMOS RAFA
I checked you are get No.1of the year! Congratulations Rafa.