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Published 12:11 IST, November 11th 2022

WATCH: Top-seed Rafael Nadal entertains fans ahead of ATP Finals 2022; Check full line-up

Rafael Nadal has started his preparations for the season-ending ATP Finals 2022, which kicks off on Monday.

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Rafael Nadal
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World No. 2 tennis superstar, Rafael Nadal arrived in Italy's Turin for the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday, days before the tournament kicks off on Monday. Nadal entered the tournament as no. 1 after returning with a loss in the Round of 32 at the Paris Masters, earlier this month. Meanwhile, ATP Tour en Espanol shared a video of Nadal practicing on the court, ahead of his opening game against Taylor Fritz on Monday. 

Nadal hit the ground running in Turin, where he will make his 17th appearance during the prestigious ATP Finals, seeking his first-ever title. This is the fifth time in his career that the Spaniard will be the top-seeded player in the tournament. Meanwhile, Nadal was seen training under the guidance of his coaching staff, including Carlos Moya, Francisco Roig, and Marc Lopez. His opponent for Monday was also seen with his coach Michael Russell.

As reported by ATP Tour, Nadal revealed his excitement about playing in the year-ending championships. “It's always great news to be playing the last event of the year. That says that you had a great season, so I'm excited. Italy is a very close country for me. Being in Turin for the first time in my life, it's a new experience, so I'm very happy about that and I'm looking forward to seeing the stadium and the fans. I'll try my best as always," Nadal said. 

WATCH: Nadal's trains in Turin ahead of ATP Finals 2022

Nadal & Djokovic in different groups at the ATP World Tour Finals

While Nadal is chasing his first-ever ATP Finals title in 2022, former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic eyes his sixth ATP Finals title. It is pertinent to mention that the current World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will miss the tournament due to an abdominal injury.

Interestingly, Nadal and Djokovic have been placed in different groups for the ATP Finals 2022. Nadal’s best result in the tournament was 2nd place finishes in 2013 and 2015. At the same time, Djokovic has failed to bag a year-end title since 2015. While Nadal has been drawn against Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz in the Green Group, Djokovic has been clubbed with two former ATP Finals winners Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev in the Red Group, which also features Andrey Rublev.

Complete Line-up for ATP World Tour Finals 2022

SINGLES-

Green Group

  • Rafael Nadal (1)
  • Casper Ruud (3)
  • Felix Auger-Aliassime (5)
  • Taylor Fritz (8)

Red Group

  • Stefanos Tsitsipas (2)
  • Daniil Medvedev (4)
  • Andrey Rublev (6)
  • Novak Djokovic (7)

DOUBLES-

Green Group

  • Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski (1)
  • Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic (4)
  • Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek (5)
  • Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios (8)

Red Group

  • Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury (2)
  • Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer (3)
  • Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara (6)
  • Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (7)

12:11 IST, November 11th 2022