• Draw.Nadal, in the Medvedev, Zverev and Tsitsipas Group
  • Nadal. Travel to London to try to play the Masters Cup

Determined to complete one of his best seasons, Rafael Nadal will travel to London on Wednesday to try to play the ATP Finals. "If the decision to travel has been made, it is because you have the possibility to play," Dr. Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro told this newspaper, who will continue his evolution in the British capital in the days leading up to the start of the tournament, which starts on Sunday.

The MRI to which he underwent last Monday in Palma de Mallorca after not being able to dispute before Denis Shapovalov the semifinals of Paris-Bercy reveals a distension at the level of the right abdominal rectum . He has followed a specific treatment in the area and will return to training, with due precautions, as of Wednesday, in the British capital. "Underneath you can play perfectly," says Ruiz-Cotorro, clarifying that problems occur when serving. «The day you start the competition you will do it if you are in conditions. The percentage of chances of playing will be given to us every day, ”he added.

10 years ago, at the US Open, Nadal suffered a mishap of similar characteristics, although, as his doctor clarifies, then it was a break and now only a strain. Already affected by the injury, he lost to Del Potro by a triple 6-2, but reappeared in less than a month in Beijing.

«Before we start taking out, we are trying to reduce the strain and looking for tissue regeneration. It is about relaxing the area, with the complement of Indiba [a regenerative treatment with radiofrequency waves] », explains Ruiz-Cotorro.

Nadal tries to make the last years of his career profitable without leaving any of the open fronts. Although he has made it clear that world number 1 is a side issue, he always admitted that concluding the season at the top is a special itching. He could do it for the fifth time and match Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, his two great rivals in this long sprint where they compete to be the best tennis player ever. To make good the 640 points of advantage he now has over Djokovic and not depend on the Serbian, he needs to reach the final . The now called ATP Finals are also the only major tournament that is still elusive. Nole also needs to win the undefeated tournament.

Finalist in 2010 and 2013, and qualified for the last 15 editions, Nadal could only complete seven and two years ago he was forced to retire after losing to David Goffin the first game of the group stage. On that occasion he also came to the tournament very fair, with severe knee problems that eventually prevented him from completing his participation.

In the draw held on Tuesday in London he was framed in the Andre Agassi Group , together with Daniil Medvedev, number four, Stefanos Tsitsipas, six, and Alexander Zverev, seventh in the ranks and defender of the title. In the Bjorn Borg Group will be Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem and Matteo Berrettini.

The tournament will be opened by Djokovic and debutant Berrettini, on Sunday, at 3:00 p.m. in Spain, and Federer will meet Thiem in the night session. Nadal will debut against Zverev on Monday, at 9:00 p.m., after Medvedev and Tsitsipas play in the afternoon session. All matches can be seen in Movistar.

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