Norwegian Casper Ruud became the first player to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Finals on Tuesday. who take part in Turin after beating the American Taylor Fritz 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (6), a result that mathematically eliminated Raphael Nadal and who certified Carlos Alcaraz in first place on the circuit until the end of the year, the youngest in history to do so.

With the first set Ruud making it 6-3 against Fritz, Manacor’s chances were over, who justly beat the Norwegian in the final of Roland Garros, the twenty-second Grand Slam of his career. A Ruud who is a student of the academy that bears the name of the current world number two, the Rafa Nadal Academy, and who won his match after more than two hours and a close final decided by a ‘tie-break’.

The Norwegian’s ‘break’ in the second game of the game was enough to win a first round which, therefore, due to the automatic elimination of Nadal, achieved first place in the ATP rankings for Alcaraza rival against whom he succumbed in the other final he played this year, the Open de United Statesand that he could not play this tournament due to an abdominal injury.

The Murcian tennis player, originally from El Palmar, who seemed bewitched in Italy for not having played the Masters 1000 in Rome or this prestigious tournament which brings together the eight best blades on the circuit, could receive the trophy which accredits him to the highest this Wednesday in Turin since, as EFE has learned from ATP sources, although it is not official, he will be traveling to the city for advertising agreements with the professional tennis association.

Before Ruud’s game, Nadal added his second defeat so far in the tournament, against the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime, a pupil of his uncle and mentor Toni Nadal, who sat on the sidelines of the Canadian sensation, also by two sets to zero, the same result as that conceded against Fritz in the first daytime.

The game did not end happy Nadal, who is already thinking about next year and who is not going to give up to find his maximum level, that personal injuries and reasons -like the birth of his firstborn in October- prevented him from maintaining the continuity he had at the start of the year and which allowed him to win Roland Garros and the Open from Australia.

“My 2023 season starts tomorrow. I have to keep working to have options for next year. There are some positive things, I played two tournaments in two weeks, that’s something positive. I haven’t forgotten how to play tennis, I need to regain good feelings and the strong mentality I need to be at the level I want to be, I don’t know if I will be able to recover from it but I have no doubt that I will die of it”, he assured this Tuesday at a press conference, just after the match against Auger-Aliassime.

Nadal added his fourth consecutive defeatsomething that had been going on since 2009, and he admitted to being disappointed, although he came back to insist on his usual maxim.

“The ones who have won the most is because they have been able to navigate the field of turmoil. These are sad, disappointing times, I had trained well, with enthusiasm, but it did not enough. I don’t know of any other way to remedy it than by working”he explained.

Additionally, he revealed that despite his confidence in his game, It’s normal to have doubts already thinking about the next Australian Open where he will defend the crown.

“You can be optimistic and have doubts. If you don’t have doubts, from my point of view, you are arrogant; and if you are not optimistic, it is impossible to win. I don’t know what will take place in Australia. I will be as humble as possible in the face of the challenge and I can only work.”

“Doubts make you work harder. Doubts are good, they will help me. And so is optimism. It’s time to recover, to work hard, to be positive, to accept the challenge and I’m going to have to undergo something else. We will find out if I am ready in the next few months.”sentenced.