The Spanish Rafael Nadal received this Sunday the trophy that accredits him as number one at the end of the season just after the victory of the Swiss Roger Federer against the American Jack Sock in the ATP Finals that are played at the O2 in London.
Nadal, winner this year in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Roland Garros, United States Open and Beijing, has finished the season at the top of the world rankings, an achievement he has achieved for the fourth time in his career (2008, 2010 and 2013 ).
The six titles achieved in 2017 make his record present 75 in total. This year the tenth achieved at Roland Garros and the third at the US Open stand out, with which he already has 16 in the Grand Slam, and the recovery of number one, since he will defend until the end of the Australian Open next year.
Nadal, in a gray suit, white shirt and blue tie, received the trophy from Chris Kermode, president of the ATP.
During the event, a video was shown with the best moments of the year of the Spanish and their titles. Then, Nadal raised the trophy to the clamor of the 15,000 spectators who attended the first day of the ATP Finals.
“For me it was an incredible session after going through so many injuries,” Nadal said after collecting the cup. “Having this trophy with me again is something I couldn’t dream of a year ago and it means a lot to me,” he added.
«None of this would have been possible without my family, my team, many of them are here, others are not, and I have to thank everyone for their support in bad times, because everyone has believed that things like this can happen again and because without them I would not be where I am now, “he stressed.
Nadal, 31, is the oldest player to finish a season at the world’s number one spot. Federer, at 36, is also the oldest to finish second on the list.
The Spanish left-hander, who will make his debut this Monday in the ATP Finals against Belgian David Goffin (21:00 CET) in Group A / Pete Sampras, trained this afternoon on track 2 of the O2 with his compatriot Pablo Carreño, first reserve of the tournament.
He did it again without a bandage on his right knee and apparently showed no signs that his involvement could be in jeopardy.
Carreño won the tiebreaker (7-4) that both played in the auxiliary court, whose canvases were shaking by the wind.
The atmosphere between the current world number one and ten was one of great camaraderie and they both acted relaxed. Phrases like “this track has holes”, when Nadal refers to the state of the surface, and “you’re going to pay it because I’m going to come back”, when Carreño took a 3-0 lead, were heard by Manacor’s southpaw.
Nadal is fighting this year at the O2 to get one of the four titles, and the most important, that is still missing from his record. The one from Manacor is the only player in the group of the ‘Big Four’ (Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray) who does not have the ATP Finals in his history. EFE