Newly reinstated world number one Rafael Nadal will be gunning for a historic feat at this week’s Shanghai Rolex Masters. If the Spaniard wins the title, he will become the only player in history to win six ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in a single season. He’s currently tied with Novak Djokovic in terms of most Masters titles won in a single season at five each. (Djokovic in 2011, Nadal in 2013)
“I hope to be ready for Shanghai,” he said last Sunday at the conclusion of the China Open in Beijing. “It’s an important tournament, one of the most important of the season because it’s a Masters 1000 – you need to play against best players even in the first rounds.”
Nadal has an impressive 29-1 in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments this season with the only blemish coming from a final loss at the Monte Carlo Masters to Djokovic.
Nadal reclaimed the number one ranking after reaching the China Open last weekend. However, he lost the final to now-four time champion Novak Djokovic.
The Spaniard is heavily favored to finish the 2013 season as world number one but Nadal said that there’s still work to be done to ensure that this happens.
“I’m going to be in the top of the rankings for a few weeks. I need to keep playing well to try to finish No. 1 at the end of the season,” Nadal said.
