“The numbers are the numbers”, says Rafael Nadal on his poor indoor record


“The numbers are the numbers”, says Rafael Nadal on his poor indoor record

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal

With Rafael Nadal ready to commence the hunt for his maiden ATP Finals title in London, questions surrounding his ability to win indoor matches are being asked once again. Out of the 86 titles in his ongoing tennis career Nadal has only managed to win one on the indoor hardcourt, which also came 15 years ago at the 2005 Madrid open.

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Numbers speak for themselves: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal at a press conference

In a press conference in London on Friday, Nadal admitted that his form on the indoor courts is not up to the standards set for the Mallorcan. Asserting that his poor form does not warrant any excuse or reasons. “We can find excuses or reasons but at the end of the day the numbers are the numbers,said the Spaniard.

Out of the 284 tournament that the World no.2 has been a part of, only 36 have been under a closed roof. Nadal also admitted that indoor conditions do not go hand-in-hand with his unique style of playing. “There are reasons, the indoors is not an ideal surface for my tennis since the beginning of my career,” Nadal explained.

“The last couple of years has been better than the beginning of my career without a doubt but that’s the numbers and I can’t say something different,” said the Spaniard. Nadal has reached the 2 finals of the season-ending ATP Finals despite qualifying for the tournament a record 16 consecutive times. The 13-time French Open champion noted that he has to significantly improve his game if he wants to lift the silverware in London this time around.

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Can’t complain about the Covid restriction, lucky that the finals are happening at all: Rafael Nadal

Nadal focused on winning his maiden title

As the world’s best tennis players take to the court in London this week, Nadal notes that despite the event not being organized in an ideal situation, the players were lucky that they were able to play at all. For the Nitto ATP Finals the players are housed at the Intercontinental Hotel, which is around 200 meters away from the O2 Arena.

Despite the proximity between the two, players are not allowed to move outside the hotel. “We are in the hotel next to the O2, different conditions, we cannot even walk from the hotel which is 200 meters away. We are very lucky to be able to keep playing our sport, that’s the only thing I can say,” Nadal said.

Nadal expressed his gratitude towards the organizers of the event, the ATP, for keeping the tournament despite the challenging conditions. “I cannot be negative, I say thanks to the ATP, thanks to the tournaments, thanks to the Grand Slams to make that happen,” Nadal added. He will play his first match against Andrey Rublev on Sunday.

Also read: Nitto ATP Finals: Re-visiting the 5 most memorable matches at the O2 Arena

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