Nadal admits knee issues remain ahead of Nitto ATP Finals - UBITENNIS

Nadal admits knee issues remain ahead of Nitto ATP Finals

By Alex Burton
2 Min Read
Nadal’s attempts to win the ATP Finals for the first time appear to be hampered by his knee problems (Zimbio.com)

World No.1 Rafael Nadal has admitted that issues with his knee persist ahead of the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

The Spaniard was forced to retire before his quarter-final with Filip Krajinovic in Paris-Bercy last week, though he does not think the knee will force him out of London.

Nadal, speaking to BBC Sport said, “the knee is not perfect, of course, after having to retire from Paris. In a couple of days you cannot expect to be 100% but I had treatment and I’m expecting to be better and better every day. I’m here to try my best to give me a chance.

Nadal has never won the ATP Finals, with defeat in the 2010 final to old friend and rival Roger Federer his best effort. He starts against David Goffin on Monday afternoon. Grigor Dimitrov and Dominic Thiem complete the four-man group. Nadal will play his group matches on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The 2017 edition of the Finals is notable for a number of absentees due to injury. The likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Kei Nishikori have all played in recent years, but are absent this time through injury and the related loss of ranking points.

Nadal’s knees have been a constant source of injury for the World No.1. Extended absences in 2009 and last year have seen the ‘King of Clay’ miss sizeable chunks of seasons past because of the long-standing nature of the problem.

The Nitto ATP Finals complete the ATP season, with just the Davis Cup Final run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) between France and Belgium to follow which completes the men’s senior tennis circuit.

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