Nadal, Barty top tennis rankings

LONDON: Rafael Nadal has climbed back to the top of the ATP rankings while Ashleigh Barty consolidated her place as No. 1 in the WTA Rankings in the updated standings released on Monday. While Barty won the WTA finals on Sunday, Nadal climbed above Novak Djokovic despite the latter sealing his fifth Paris Masters title on the same day.

Nadal, whose last stint at the top ended a year ago on November 4, 2018, withdrew from his semi-final against Shapovalov in Paris with an abdominal muscle strain. Djokovic slips down the rankings because he loses the points that he won a year ago in London when Nadal was absent.

If the Spaniard does not play or fails to win a round-robin match at the World Tour Finals,

Djokovic must claim two groupstage victories and make the final to pass him. Djokovic would also be sure of the year-end top ranking should he win the tournament and Nadal does not reach the semi-finals.

Barty’s win on Sunday caps a stunning season which included her maiden grand slam at the French Open. She has a best of 7,851 points while Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic is second with 5,940.

Defending WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina goes up to sixth with a final defeat in Shenzhen on Sunday while Wimbledon champion Simona Halep moves to fourth.

US star Serena Williams, who did not qualify for the Finals last week, drops a place to end the season in 10th place.

PARIS: Novak Djokovic says he is ready for the “big task” of trying to win the ATP Tour Finals in London and claim the year-end world number one spot for a record-equalling sixth time.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion sealed his fifth Paris Masters title on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Canadian Denis Shapovalov, but was usurped by the injured Rafael Nadal at the top of the rankings on Monday.

Nadal said he will fight until it is “impossible” to be fit for the start of the season-ending championships on November 10.

If the Spaniard does not play or fails to win a roundrobin match at the Finals, Djokovic must claim two group-stage victories and make the final to pass him.

Djokovic would also be sure of the year-end top ranking should he win the tournament and Nadal does not reach the semis.

“There’s always a chance that I win all my matches in London, that I play well. I have done it in the past, and