Rafael Nadal Hopes ATP World Finals Can be Held on 'Clay Court'
Rafael Nadal has not won a major title this year. It's the first time this has happened to him since 2004.
World No.5 Rafael Nadal said it is not fair for players like him to play the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour Finals on hard courts.(Nadal to Headline Exhibition in Sydney)
"I am not sure if it is 100 per cent fair that we qualify for the World Tour Finals playing on grass, hard, clay and indoors, and since 2005, when I qualified (for the first time), it is already 11 years that every single time (it has been) on indoor hard courts, the 29-year-old clay court specialist was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail on Thursday.
The World Tour Finals are held on the indoor hard courts of the O2 arena in London each year.
"I believe that it's not fair that a player like me really never played on a surface that was a little bit more favourable. I always played on the worst surface possible for me."
"If it's indoor at London, then great, but you can build a different type of surface there. It is a fantastic place to organise a World Tour Finals. The atmosphere is just amazing and I am very happy it is there. I enjoy it every time I have had the chance to be there, but we can play on clay there too."
The 14-time Grand Slam champion failed to win a major title for the first time since 2004. The most bitter of blows for the nine-time French Open winner came in June when his reign on the Parisian clay courts came to an end at the hands of No.1 Novak Djokovic in the quarters.
Nadal said he has found his form before the World Tour Finals kicking off on Sunday after reaching finals in Beijing and Basel.
"It is a different feeling (this year). I had a lot of problems during the whole second part of the season last year. It was a good first part but then I broke my wrist and I had appendicitis. It was so tough," he said.
"In general, I feel that is past. I was able to improve during the whole season, especially the last couple of months. I've felt that I am playing better and better, I feel that I am enjoying it again, the fact that I am playing my style and I am able to play a little bit more aggressive game because I am in control of my emotions."