Top- ranked player
Nadal defeats Chung to ensure No. 1 ranking
PARIS - Rafael Nadal will finish the year as the top- ranked player for the fourth time, surprising even the fiercest of competitors after a wrist injury and a lack of form severely dented his steely confidence.
The 31- year- old Spaniard assured himself the No. 1 ranking by beating Hyeon Chung 7- 5, 6- 3 Wednesday in the second round of the Paris Masters.
The 16- time Grand Slam winner had not finished the year at the top since 2013, with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray doing so after that.
"One year ago, for sure I never dreamed about being No. 1 again at the end of the season," said Nadal, who missed large parts of 2016 because of a troublesome wrist. "It has been an amazing year."
Nadal's comeback has been truly remarkable, even by his lofty standards.
He reached three Grand Slam finals this year, losing to Roger Federer at the Australian Open and winning a 10th French Open title before clinching the U. S. Open for the third time.
"It was impossible for me to think about ( being No. 1) coming back from a tough period without playing, and with so many injuries in the last couple of years," said Nadal, who also finished as No. 1 in ' 08 and ' 10. "It means a lot. After almost 10 years since the first time."
Nadal is also the oldest year- ending No. 1, testimony to his relentless determination.