Rafael Nadal will be fit in time for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, according to his coach Carlos Moya.
The world No.1 withdrew from last week’s Paris Masters due to a knee injury. The week before he also pulled out of the Swiss Indoors due to a similar issue. In the wake of the withdrawals, doubts have mounted about Nadal’s fitness for the London event, which will feature the eight best players in the world.
On Tuesday, Nadal’s family doctor told Spanish media that no ‘serious’ damage has been done to his knee in recent weeks. Dr Cotorro explained that the issue concerns one particular tendon in the knee that Nadal has experienced problems with in the past.
“He suffers some small discomforts within a pathology that we already know, in a tendon in which he has already had ailments with on other occasions. We will try to do everything possible so that he can be in good condition.” Cotorro said about his current fitness.
Providing a further update on the ten-time grand slam champion, coach Moya has said with confidence that he will play in London. He made the comment during a coaching workshop at the inaugural Next Gen Finals in Milan. A round-robin tournament featuring players under the age of 21.
“Rafa is fine, the knee is okay,” Reuters news quoted Moya saying.
“He stopped just to take no risks. Rafa will be competitive in London because it’s the only big tournament he hasn’t won.”
Nadal is aiming to end 2017 on a high after a successful season. He has already claimed six titles on the tour, including two grand slam titles in Paris and New York. As a result of his triumphs, the 31-year-old has ensured that he will be the year-end No.1 for the fourth time in his career and first since 2013.
“I expected Rafa to be number one again,” stated Moya. “I‘m not surprised because I’ve seen him training as usual with lots of passion. His tennis and his mind has taken him to number one.”
Next week, Nadal will be bidding to win the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. He has been drawn in the Pete Sampras Group with Grigor Dimitrov, Dominic Thiem and David Goffin. Against those three players, Nadal has a 17-3 win-loss record.
The Spaniard will start his campaign on Monday against Goffin.
