Rafael Nadal of Spain defeated Norwegian Casper Ruud in the ATP Finals on Thursday in Turin, Italy, and earned a victory to cap off his 2022 campaign.
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Rafael Nadal of Spain won his final match of the 2022 season by defeating Casper Ruud of Norway in the ATP Finals on Thursday in Turin, Italy. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated from the semi-finals after losing to Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime in back-to-back straight sets matches in the Green Group. The 36-year-old had not lost five games in a row before his career took off in 2004-05, so the Spaniard was clearly eager to avoid ending a season that had started in such spectacular way by doing so.
The fourth-ranked Ruud was already guaranteed a spot in the semifinals, thus the match was essentially meaningless. Even yet, the first set was intense inside the Pala Alpitour, where Nadal had the support of the afternoon audience. At 4-4 in the first set, Nadal held off a few break points from Ruud as he threatened, but after that, the Mallorcan rediscovered the range on his forehand. The world number two Nadal needed just one chance to win the set, punching a volley into an empty court, as the 23-year-old Ruud fell behind 0-40 on serve at 5-6. Similar circumstances occurred in the second set, when there was no tension between the players until Nadal struck once more in the 12th game. In order to end his season on a good note, Nadal blasted away a backhand winner after Ruud had saved one match point.
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“I’ve been practising diligently. There simply aren’t likely enough matches for me to be where I need to be. Probably lacking confidence after six difficult months. It is as it is. I acknowledge that the season didn’t end the way I had hoped, but at least I had a successful ending. I’m glad that it’s the season’s final official game because it makes it important. I’m content with that in the end. I was able to defeat a talented player, “Nadal said as reported by ATPtour.com.
Nadal will finish the final tournament of the season with a 1-2 record if he prevails. After winning four tour-level championships this year, including major championships at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, the 36-year-old finishes 2022 with a 39-8 tour-level record. “I am at my wit’s end. After a challenging first half of the year, 2022 finished the year strong in the rankings and won two Grand Slams. So, I have nothing to complain about. Being competitive and able to achieve at my age means a lot to me. To reach the level I need to be competitive from the start in 2023, let’s just try to have the right preparation, work the right way, and start the season with the right energy and attitude. I’m eager to try it, let’s do it “Nadal said.
