Despite SF Loss, Nadal Says Paris Run 'Helpful For London'
Rafael Nadal fell short of winning his first Rolex Paris Masters title this week. But after reaching the Bercy semi-finals, the Spaniard will take confidence as he turns his attention to the Nitto ATP Finals.
“It has not been not a bad tournament. I spent hours on court. Of course I wanted to win the tournament, but it’s always difficult,” Nadal said. “But I had the right attitude during the whole event, I think, fighting in every match. That gave me the chance to play four matches that I think will be helpful for London.”
[WATCH LIVE 1]Nadal won two three-setters en route to the last four, in which he battled hard before losing against fourth seed Alexander Zverev. The top seed has reached the semi-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters five times.
“I have been competitive, I have been there until the end against a player who is playing great on a surface that he’s winning a lot,” Nadal said. “[It] has been a positive tournament for me. Of course [I am] not happy about the loss, but that’s part of the game. I played against a great player, and I accept the defeat… He played a little bit better than me.”
Nadal will try to carry his good form to The O2 in London, where he will pursue his first trophy at the season finale. The lefty has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the 16th consecutive year.
“I need to adjust a couple of things, but I am doing well on all the important things,” Nadal said. “I have one week and a little bit more to keep working, and I hope be ready for it.”