"I have failed to be a better indoor player" - Nadal honest ahead of ATP Finals
ATPSaturday, 12 November 2022 at 17:30
Updated at Thursday, 13 February 2025 at 17:37
Rafael Nadal was brutally honest about his indoor hard-court qualities ahead of the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin.
The last event of the ATP season will be played in Turin, and Nadal will be the top seed at the 2022 ATP Finals. After his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the event, the 22-time Grand Slam champion became the highest-seeded player at the 2022 ATP Finals.
He will be trying to steal the World No. 1 spot from the 19-year-old youngster, but that won't be an easy task for Nadal, especially since he has historically struggled in the conditions in which the event is played.
After a successful year in which he managed to add two more Grand Slam titles, Nadal wants to do well also in Turin. Speaking to Spanish media, as reported by Marca, ahead of the event, he admitted that he wanted to finish the season on the tennis courts despite struggling with his health.
"I wanted to finish the year competing, which last year I could not do and this year I will be here to make the best possible result. In sport you never know, you come here without rhythm, but you win a match and things change radically."
"As far as I’m concerned, I’m well prepared. Then you play against the best in the world. Of course it’s better to arrive with confidence and victories. There’s no time limit for getting in shape. From the first day, you play against one of the best."
The ATP Finals is one of the tournaments that Nadal never won in his career and he will try to change that in 2022. He knows he isn't the best player indoors, which is why he failed to win the tournament despite playing in it 17 times.
"I have failed to be a better indoor player. This is the reality of the sport. I have qualified 17 times, but I have not been competitive 17 times. I don’t know how many times I’ve been able to play the Masters with real options. Historically, indoor has been the worst surface for me, but it is true that in recent years I think I have improved significantly on this surface."
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