"Won't let myself be defeated by injury or fear of injury" - Rafael Nadal on his Paris Masters campaign
After winning a historic 13th French Open title in Paris just a few weeks ago, World No. 2 Rafael Nadal is back in the French capital to take part in the Paris Masters - a tournament that he has never won in his career.
While Rafael Nadal has complied an astounding 100-2 record on the claycourts of Roland Garros, he has a distinctly more pedestrian 19-5 record at the Paris Masters (in seven main draw appearances). The Spaniard's best performance has been reaching the final here in 2007, followed by semifinal appearances in three other editions - including last year.
The tournament is usually held at the end of the season, when Rafael Nadal is not particularly fresh. But this year, due to the shortened calendar caused by the pandemic, he has played much fewer matches going into Bercy.
While speaking to the press on Sunday, the Spaniard asserted that he was prepared to play his best tennis in the tournament, and that he wasn't going to be bogged down by fitness issues this time.
“I don't think about injuries when I come to a tournament, because otherwise I wouldn't be playing. When I arrive at a tournament, I try to display my best tennis, not to be scared by the worries of the past, the injuries that I may have had," Nadal said.
Nadal also touched upon the unusual situation this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and assured everyone that he was ready to adapt to anything that came his way.
"It's true, the circumstances are different compared to previous years. You have to adapt to the situation, be ready to accept any inconvenience. I am ready to show my best tennis, I will not let myself be defeated by any injury or fear of injury," Nadal added.
Rafael Nadal could meet Feliciano Lopez or Filip Krajinovic in his first match at the Paris Masters 2020
Rafael Nadal is seeded No. 1 in the absence of top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who has decided to skip the tournament this season. Nadal has a bye in the first round and could meet either fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez or Filip Krajinovic in the second round.
15th seed Borna Coric could be a possible third round opponent for Nadal, while eighth seed David Goffin or ninth seed Pablo Carreno Busta could await in the quarterfinals.
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev or the red-hot Russian Andrey Rublev - who won his fifth title of the season in Vienna on Sunday - could meet Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. If the Spaniard wins that, he is likely to face one of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Diego Schwartzman and Matteo Berrettini in the final.