CNN
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Rafael Nadal Paris is out of the Masters after losing to Tommy Paul – and the Spaniard isn’t betting on winning the ATP Tour Finals either.
World No. 31 Paul won 3-6 7-6(4) 6-1 over world No. 2 Nadal, who had not played since teaming up with his long-time rival. Roger Federer In the Laver Cup.
Down after the first set, the American bounced back to take Nadal to love at 2–2 in the second.
Paul broke Nadal’s serve three times in the deciding set to wrap up the victory, denying the Spaniard a chance to return to the top of the world rankings in the process.
“I think he played aggressively, a lot of great shots. I had a match in that second set with sets and breaks,” Nadal said after the game. “Yeah, I didn’t deserve to win by playing so bad[ly] At that critical moment, no.
“Up to that point it was fine, a good match for me. Knowing it was my first match in a long time. It was Nadal’s first match after He and his wife welcomed a son last month.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner, who appeared injured against Paul, said he hoped to make it to the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy and had “nothing to lose”.
The prestigious, season-ending ATP Finals will run from November 13-20.
It is a tournament for which Nadal has already qualified with his ranking position, although remarkably the Spaniard has won 22 Grand Slam titles, having never won an ATP final despite reaching the final twice.
“Just give yourself a chance to enjoy another World Tour Finals, no? You never know when the last one’s going to be, especially at my age. So I’m going to do my best to enjoy it, and then Definitely next year I will fight to get back there.”
“I need to keep everything in perspective, and I’m just going to keep trying my best, and I need to stay healthy to spend days on tour. That’s all.”
Nonetheless, Nadal did not seem confident of his chances in Turin, saying “It is hard to imagine him coming into the World Tour Finals now in shape, in shape enough to win a tournament like this that I haven’t played”. Had won. My entire tennis career.