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| Source: AFP |
Rafael Nadal has created history by becoming the oldest male player to finish the year as the world no.1 after securing his the top ranking for the fourth time in his amazing career in tennis.
The 31-year-old Spaniard assured himself the no.1 ranking by defeating Hyeon Chung 7-5, 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters. If you are interested to see how the other players fair at the Paris Masters, be sure to follow them at NetBetSport.
The 16-time major singles winner becomes the first player to finish no.1 for a whooping four times(!) in non-consecutive years since the ATP rankings were introduced back in 1973, while the nine-year gap between his first in 2008 and most recent number one year is another record.
Nadal had not finished the year at the top since 2013, with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray dominating the sport after that.
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| Source: AFP |
"One year ago, for sure I never dreamed about being number one again at the end of the season," said Nadal, who suffered a devastating wrist injury.
"It has been an amazing year."
Nadal's comeback from injury, loss of form which affected his confidence level, has been a truly remarkable one.
He reached three Grand Slam finals this year, losing to Roger Federer at the Australian Open but followed by a historical win after capturing his 10th French Open title before clinching the US Open for the third time.
"It was impossible for me to think about coming back from a tough period without playing, and with so many injuries in the last couple of years," Nadal said.
The only downside to his exceptionally remarkable season was losing to Federer. The Swiss maestro has beaten Nadal in four consecutive matches this year compared to Nadal's clear advantage in their head-to-head meetings in the past.
Nadal was not playing at his best level against the Chung, but was rarely tested. He is tied for a record 30 Masters titles with Djokovic but has never won the tournament in Paris.
If you are interested to see how the players fair at the Paris Masters, be sure to follow the betting lines at NetBetSport.
