Rafael Nadal is not treating the Paris Masters as a chance to fight for a place at the top of the ATP rankings.
Nadal has played only once – alongside the now-retired Roger Federer at the Laver Cup – since he was knocked out in the fourth round of the US Open by Frances Tiafoe.
The 36-year-old has won two grand slam titles in 2022, at the Australian Open and the French Open, seeing him sit one clear of Novak Djokovic when it comes to the record amount of major triumphs.
Yet it is Nadal's fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, some 17 years his junior, who sat top of the world rankings ahead of the Paris Masters and the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.
Nadal could yet end the year at the summit, but to overtake Alcaraz he would likely need a deep run at the Paris Masters – one of two ATP 1000 tournaments he is yet to win in his illustrious career – and in northern Italy.
However, Nadal, who became a father last month, says he now has a much simpler aim than becoming the best player on the planet.
"To be clear, I understand it's an interesting point because you're talking about fighting for number one, [but] I don't fight any more to be world number one," Nadal said in a press conference on Tuesday, a day ahead of his opening match against Tommy Paul in the French capital.
"I just fight to keep being competitive in every event that I play. It's something I said a long time ago, I will not fight any more to be number one.
"I did in the past. I achieved that goal a couple of times in my career and I have been very, very happy and proud about achieving that. But I am at a moment in my tennis career where I don't fight to be number one.
"I'm just excited to be here. I'm here to try my best and then accept things how they are coming. Hopefully, I will be ready, I'm going to try to be competitive. Let's see. I'm excited about it."
Having dominated the game for so long, Nadal and reigning Paris Masters champion Djokovic find themselves ranked at second and seventh by the ATP respectively.
Nadal and Djokovic are the only players in the top 10 aged over 30, with four of the other eight players aged under 25.
"My feelings are that I am proud of all the things that I was able to still be here in 2022," Nadal said, when asked what it was like to be competing against the next generation of talent.
"It's something that says that I did a lot of things well in my life, not only my tennis career. To hold the passion, to hold the love for the game and fighting spirit.
"I'm proud of that and just hope that I can enjoy the last two events of the year."
With his son not yet a month old, Nadal conceded he is missing home.
"[A] different approach to usual. It has always been difficult to leave home, to be honest," he said.
"It's quite interesting how even after two or three weeks you leave your son at home and [are] not be able to go see him. It's something quite interesting how even after only three weeks of knowing him you start missing him.
"So yeah, a new experience, all changes are difficult in his life, and you need to adapt to it."
World number one Swiatek sees off Xiyu in Madrid opener
World number one Iga Swiatek overcame Wang Xiyu with the minimum of fuss on Thursday to progress to the third round of the Madrid Open.
Swiatek has yet to win the title in Madrid, which is the only clay-court European event at which the Pole has not triumphed, but she got off to a flying start with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Xiyu.
"I love this place. I got to know the city a little better last year," Swiatek said. "So this time I feel more comfortable around."
Next up for the 22-year-old is a third-round tie against 27th seed Sorana Cirstea on Saturday.
Data Debrief
Swiatek has registered 150 match wins on the WTA Tour since the start of 2022. Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff are the next best with 108 wins each.
She also became the first player born this century to claim 50 combined match wins in Madrid, Rome and Roland-Garros, since the inaugural women's singles event at the Madrid Open in 2009.
Dominant Gauff double bagels Rus at Madrid Open
Coco Gauff made a flying start to her Madrid Open campaign on Thursday, recording the first double bagel main-draw win of her career as she cruised past Arantxa Rus to reach the round of 32.
Gauff needed just 51 minutes to see off 33-year-old Rus as she booked a meeting with Ukraine's Dayana Yamstremska for Saturday.
The US Open champion lost just 18 points throughout the match – eight in the opener and 10 in the second set – as she put any doubts over her recent form to bed in emphatic fashion.
Gauff's power proved too much for Rus in the opener, the third seed winning 88 per cent of points behind her first serve and converting three of four break points to go a set up in just 23 minutes.
Rus brought up four break points midway through the second set, but when she failed to convert them, Gauff punished her in ruthless fashion by reeling off another three games then finishing things with a terrific forehand winner.
Speaking after her win, the American said: "I played really well today. It was just one of those days for me… 6-0 6-0, I've never done that before, I'll probably never do it again."
Data Debrief: Gauff matches Azarenka, Halep feat
Gauff is just the third player to register a 6-0 6-0 win in the women's singles draw at the Madrid Open, following in the footsteps of two former world number ones in Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep.
The American, who only turned 20 last month, is also the youngest player to double bagel an opponent in any main-draw match on the WTA Tour since Iga Swiatek did so against Karolina Pliskova in the 2021 Italian Open final in Rome.
Nadal cruises past teen Blanch to tee up De Minaur rematch in Madrid
Darwin Blanch presented little challenge for Rafael Nadal, who dropped just one game in a convincing 6-1 6-0 triumph at the Madrid Open.
Nadal is feeling his way back to fitness, but 16-year-old qualifier Blanch offered little resistance to the 22-time major champion on Thursday.
Making his farewell appearance at the Madrid Open, where he has won five titles, Nadal needed just 64 minutes to progress to round two.
"I think today I played against an opponent with a great future in front [of him], but today, still making mistakes," said Nadal.
"I just tried to be there, be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks. It worked well. I'm happy to be through and I wish him all the very best for the future."
Nadal's reward is a rematch with Alex de Minaur, who he lost to last week in Barcelona.
Data Debrief
This game saw the largest age gap (21 years, 117 days) between two opponents in the history of ATP Masters 1000 events.
Nadal has now registered 57 wins at the Madrid Open, which is 20 clear of any other player.
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