Alex Corretja details why Rafael Nadal has never won the ATP Finals or the Paris Masters in his illustrious career
Follow Us
Rafael Nadal (IMAGO / IP3press)
Former Spanish tennis star Alex Corretja has recently spoken about the reason 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has never won the two most important tournaments at the end of the year- the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals. In his illustrious career, Nadal has never won the Paris Masters or the ATP Finals despite making it to the finals once and twice respectively.
Both Paris Masters at Bercy and the ATP Finals are played on indoor hard courts, which is Nadal’s least favorable surface. Corretja reasoned the indoor hard courts as the major reason for Nadal not winning. He said that the ball bounces the least on these fast courts and most of Nadal’s rivals- Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, or Daniil Medvedev were born and raised on them in contrast to Nadal being raised on clay.
“His game where he does the least damage is on the indoor court because that’s where the ball bounces the least, and many of his rivals were born and raised there. Just as Rafa was born and grew up on clay, Medvedev or Djokovic or Federer were born on an indoor court, so his preparation and his shots are better adapted to that surface,” Corretja said.
Alex Corretja believes Rafael Nadal would’ve had chances on any other surface for the year-end Masters
He then said that given the intensity with which Nadal plays, he gets exhausted towards the year-end and that exhaustion factors in at times given the level of the contemporary field.
“On the other hand, the exhaustion that Rafa has when November arrives, that he has won Madrid, Barcelona, Roland Garros, sometimes the US Open or Australia… Of course, his exhaustion due to his type of game is enormous, so he reaches the Masters much more touched,” he said.
Corretja said that if the year-end tournaments would’ve been played on any other surface or even outdoors, Nadal would’ve had a very good chance to win it.
“If the Masters had been played on other surfaces, Rafa would have had more chances, but since it is always indoors and on a court where the ball hardly bounces, it is normal, because of how his opponents adapt, They have more options than him,” he added.
Nadal is currently in Turin for the ATP Finals where he’ll be the top seed. He is the No.1 seed at the tournament and will headline the Green Group which features Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud, and Taylor Fritz.
Stay Updated!
Lakshya Chopra
(2595 Articles Published)