Rafael Nadal Out of Top 8, Alexander Zverev Sneaks Behind Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic in ATP’s Race to Turin

With the conclusion of the Mutua Madrid Open 2021, the Race to Turin has gotten more interesting. Alexander Zverev, the winner in Madrid, has jumped from eighth to fifth position in the competition. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal is currently out of the Top 8 qualifiers for ATP Finals 2021.

Inarguably, the German World No.6 put his best on display for the two weeks in the Spanish capital. He outclassed the No.1 players of five different nations to win the title. The list includes Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Great Britain’s Dan Evans, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, Austria’s Dominic Thiem, and Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.

Read More: “Really Don’t Care”: Alexander Zverev Takes a Dig at German Press as They Don’t Show Up After His Mutua Madrid Open 2021 Win

Rafael Nadal not in the green zone for ATP Finals Turin

The year-end championships or the ATP Finals is a tournament where Top 8 ranking point holders battle for 1500 points. It also marks the end of a tennis season.

In this matter, the 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal is yet to cement his spot in the qualifiers list. Given his mediocre results in 2021, he is presently at the tenth position in the Race to Turin.

However, the Spaniard has earned 1220 points so far and is only 135 points behind No.8 Matteo Berrettini (1355). Interestingly, the 19-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner is ahead of Nadal at No.9 with 1265 points.

But it is still not an alarming situation for Rafa. Instead, the Italian Open and the French Open are just around the corner, where the Spaniard always has a colossal advantage.

Moreover, Nadal has record titles in Rome (9) and Paris (13), where he is looking forward to extending his lead. It would be interesting to see where he stands at the end of the clay-court season.

Read More: “More Emotional Than Nadal and Djokovic”: Italian Open Director Explains Reason Behind Roger Federer’s Global Following

Alexander Zverev way ahead of Nadal for ATP Finals selection

The German has leaped to a safe spot in the Race to Turin with 2070 points. Additionally, Alexander Zverev is also breathing under Australian Open 2021 finalist Daniil Medvedev and winner Novak Djokovic.

While the World No.2 has 2220 points, the Serbian has 2320 points, only a handful more than Zverev. Moreover, all these stars are competing at the ongoing Italian Open 2021. Unquestionably, the outcome of this and the French Open will have a significant effect on their Race to Turin standings.

Have you chosen your best eight for the season-final in Italy?

Also Read: Why Winning Italian Open 2021 Is Important for Rafael Nadal Ahead of French Open?