Rafael Nadal will aim to clinch the trophy at the Nitto ATP finals for the first time ever when he starts his campaign on Sunday in London.
Nadal has qualified for this competition in each of the last 15 seasons, but despite numerous opportunities to finish the season with the trophy in his hands, it is his competitive intensity that has deprived him.
The world No. 2’s challenges at the season-ending tournament have been based on the timing of the finals, his records heading into it and his sheer physicality over the years.
The Spaniard has earned himself a reputation in the world game as the most intense player on a tennis court. The level of intensity in his service and all-round play makes the left-handed Mallorca native a difficult customer for any opponent.
It, however, is the extent to which he takes his game physically that increases his proneness to injury and accumulated fatigue at this time of the season.
Amid an appendix surgery curtailing his presence in previous campaigns in London, he has also been plagued by wrist, ankle, and knee injuries, all of which have either forced him to withdraw prematurely from games or forfeit the tournament altogether.
Nadal’s injury record has had a strong impact on this competition. However, it takes nothing away from his fine reputation as a world-class player or serial Grand Slam winner. It is rather a matter of what has come to be his nature and in most cases, bad luck with injuries. It’s regularly been just one tournament too far.
The outbreak of a global pandemic this year however has ensured that Nadal has had enough time away from the game to rest, train, recharge, and reinvigorate his body and then attacked competitions when they’ve happened.
The panache in the event of capturing his 20th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros sends a strong message to fans and rivals around the globe.
His performance against Novak Djokovic in the final was relentless as usual, but he clearly took it to a new level. The Serbian’s fan base will be hopeful mentality is not affected if the duo are drawn against one another again in London.
