Having won a record 13th title at the French Open earlier this month, Rafael Nadal will return to Paris in search of another milestone win.
The 34-year-old is currently at 999 Tour wins, and is looking to become only the fourth male player — after Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Roger Federer– in the Open Era to win a 1000 matches.
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At this month’s French Open, Nadal crushed World No 1 Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in the final to win his 20th Grand Slam title and go level with Roger Federer for the most number of Grand Slams in men’s tennis.
It’s indoor season time… this picture was earlier today practicing at the @rnadalacademy … And yes… getting ready for #ParisBercy 😉💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/SajEB4JMEW
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) October 20, 2020
After the incredible win though the Spaniard was not sure if he would play any more tournaments this season.
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“It is just conversation I need to have with my family and team especially during the next couple of days,” he had said. “I am just doing my best to not make bad decisions. To make the right decisions, I need to think only about what I need to think.”
On Tuesday, however, Nadal confirmed that he would be playing the Paris Masters, which will be played indoor on a hard courts rather than the red dirt he so loves.
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He will be the top seed as Djokovic has decided not to defend his title in Paris.
The Masters event in Paris is the final qualifying event for the ATP Tour Finals and may be played behind closed doors due to the worsening Coronavirus situation in France.
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The government has also imposed a 9pm curfew on the indoor tournament, which may have affected sponsorship. French media has reported that the prize money, especially for players who go deeper in the tournament, will be considerably reduced.
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