22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, has admitted he needs to get more matches under his belt before he will be able to regain top form.
The current World No. 2 lost to American, Taylor Fritz, 7-6 6-1 in his opening ATP Finals match in Turin. With this defeat, Nadal was inflicted his third consecutive loss - the first time the Spaniard has lost three straight tour matches since 2009.
Speaking after the match, Nadal told reporters, "I need more matches to play at this kind of level. Even if I am practising well, much better than how I am competing, without a doubt."
He continued, "In the end, it (the ATP Finals) is not the ideal tournament and probably part of the season to come back after a couple of months without being on the tour because you don’t have time to get confidence."
Nadal's 2022 season has been a tale of two halves. He enjoyed a simply superb first six months of the year, winning both Grand Slams - the Australian Open and Roland Garros - as well as taking two other titles and making a Masters 1000 final at Indian Wells.
However, he has since been hampered by several injuries which have impacted his success since then. Despite making the last four of Wimbledon, Nadal was forced to withdraw from that match with injury and has since only managed to play seven matches, losing four of them.
The 14-time French Open champion has never won the ATP Finals, and has put himself on the back foot again at the start of a tournament that is only going to get harder.
However, should Nadal managed to turn his form around and make the final of the tournament, he will put himself in a position to end the season as the year-end No. 1. It a huge ask, but if this season has taught us anything it is this - you simply never underestimate Rafael Nadal.
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