This archive report was first published on 5 November 2019.
On Monday, Rafa Nadal dethroned Serbia's Novak Djokovic to reclaim the number one spot in the ATP rankings following his semi-final run at the Paris Masters.
Although Nadal withdrew minutes before his semi-final match against Canada's Denis Shapovalov with an abdominal injury, his decision not to take any risks ahead of the Nov. 10-17 ATP Finals was enough to secure the top spot.
At 33 years old, Nadal became the second-oldest player to top the rankings, a feat achieved by Swiss Roger Federer in 2018 at the age of 36.
"I'm super happy with my season," Nadal said. "It was a tough beginning but then I was able to find a way to be back playing at a very high level of tennis and be in the situation that I am today."
Nadal won two Grand Slams this year, the French Open and the U.S. Open, moving him within one of Federer's record of 20 titles.
However, injuries have curtailed Nadal's season, and the ATP Finals will be his last chance to end the year as number one for the fifth time in his career.
