Nadal out of Paris and could miss ATP Finals
Spaniard pulls out with abdominal injury Djokovic set for return to top of world rankings
Until lunchtime yesterday, the tennis fans of Paris were buzzing about a glittering order of play that featured both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. But the outcome proved to be double disappointment, as both matches were cancelled and Nadal’s participation at the forthcoming Nitto ATP Finals was thrown into doubt.
At least Federer’s quest for a 100th singles title should continue today in Paris. He earned a walkover when Milos Raonic withdrew with an elbow injury. But Nadal found himself briefing reporters on the abdominal pain that has been affecting his serve.
“The doctor says, if I continue, the abdominal maybe can break and can be a major thing,” Nadal explained, adding that he could potentially have managed a match or two, but not the five wins that would be required to lift the title.
When asked about his prospects for London – a tournament he has already missed six times because of injury – Nadal said: “I am very sorry but I cannot answer you. I just go day by day.”
Nadal’s absence from Paris will cost him the top spot in the rankings, which he has held for all but two weeks since the start of April. His successor as world No1 will be Novak Djokovic, who has not held that position since Andy Murray took it from him in late 2016. The “Big Four” have thus switched possession of the No1 ranking 17 times since the last outsider stood atop the ladder. That was Andy Roddick, back in February 2004.
Meanwhile, the Spanish No 4 Fernando Verdasco has commented for the first time on his controversial scolding of a Chinese ball-boy. Judging by the outraged response to the viral clip on social media, Verdasco told reporters, anyone would have thought that he punched the child in the face.
“I received many messages telling me to apologise,” said Verdasco, when quizzed on an incident that took place in Shenzhen on Sept 29. “I apologise to all the people who took it so wrong but it never was my intention to be rude. I just wanted to tell him to be a little bit faster. It looked like I hit the ballboy [or] I punch him in the face.
“My reaction with the arms was the thing that looked so bad but it was never my intention to be rude or disrespectful. I love ball-boys. I always tell them, ‘Thank you’ when they help me over 15 years of my career, and maybe one time when I did a bad gesture everyone was killing me. I took it, I accept it, and I will try not to do it again.”
At next week’s ATP Nextgen Finals in Milan, a rail is to be placed at the back of the court, and players will have to collect their own towels. But Verdasco disagreed with this measure, saying: “I think that the ball-boys are happy to help, so I think that taking this [towel duty] away is something very bad, something ridiculous.”