Rafael Nadal’s London participation remains in question after he withdrew from his Paris semifinal with Denis Shapovalov due to an abdominal injury.
If he lifted his first Paris trophy, Rafa would have clinched his fifth year-end No. 1 finish.
Since Novak Djokovic won the title he closed the gap in the battle for year-end No. 1, moving to within 640 points of Rafa heading into the Nitto ATP Finals.
Here’s what Djokovic had to say about the battle for year-end No. 1 ranking:
I’m sad to see that he’s injured because that’s not what you want to see, not for Rafa, not for any other athlete.
I know how that feels. Obviously I went through major injuries in my life as well.
I hope he can recover and compete in London. Because with or without him, obviously, also the battle for No. 1 but also the tournament itself is different.
He’s a great champion and obviously lots of respect for him.
Source: ATP Tour
Get well soon Rafa <3
VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!:) YOU ARE STRONGER THAN NOVAK AND ALL OTHER TOP PLAYERS BY FAR!!!!!!!!!:) YOU ARE THE COMPLETE PACKAGE GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!!!:) YOU ARE MORE POWERFUL AND THE WAY YOU HAVE BEEN PREPARING AND TRAINING AND GOING FOR EACH POINT…….YOU CAN TAKE ON ANY TOP PLAYER WITH YOUR STUNNING ABILITIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) NO BIG DEAL…..JUST THE WAY YOU ATE NATURALLY GIFTED…..NO PRESSURE SWEETHEART SIMPLY TAKE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR TENNIS GENIUS MOVES. NO ONE HAS YOUR ENDURANCE SWEETHEART OR YOUR ENORMOUS DESIRE TO WIN EACH POINT…..ENJOY IT ALL AND HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!:) YOU ARE THE ONLY PLAYER WHO CAN TAKE DAY AFTER DAY ALL THE STRONG YOUNG PLAYERS WITH YOUR GOD GIVEN TALENT AND STRIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) VAMOS SWEETHEART AND SENDING LOTS OF LOVE AND HAPPINESS AND VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Rafa, I somehow feel that being or becoming number one in the rankings, has never been the end-all and be-all of your existence as a tennis player.
As a son, brother and now, as a husband — heck, as a human being, the single most important thing in life is your health!
Every time someone’s birthday comes along in the family, my Papa` utters this well-worn-out toast: “amor, salud, pesetas y tiempo para gastarlas”. I reckon health underpins all these — but it’s your decision naturally — trust your instincts and you’ll be fine.
Rafa Nadal, primero eres tú y cuando te recuperes, ya tú verás si juegas o no juegas, la final. Tú siempre lo das todo, pero es mejor estár en forma, que medio, de todas maneras, ya tenemos un crack, campeón, a number one,ánimo y fuerza, que no está nada, desidido