ATP Finals: Nadal confident of fitness levels ahead of Djokovic showdown

Rafael Nadal is feeling confident about his fitness. The Spaniard is ready to battle it out against Novak Djokovic for the year-end number one rank. Both of them are competing in the ATP Finals that started on November 10, Sunday.

The 33-year old Spanish legend pulled himself out of the Paris Masters last week, courtesy of a stomach injury. However, Nadal has travelled to London to participate in the ATP Finals.

Despite pulling out of the most recent event, Nadal overtook Djokovic to reach the top rank. However, the Spaniard might lose his position as the year-end number one. That's only possible if the Serbian performs significantly better than Nadal at the O2 Arena.

Tonight, Nadal will face defending champion Alexander Zverev in his first Group match. The Spaniard is confident of producing an impressive performance as he is looking forward to playing at a "good level" despite his recent injury troubles.

Nadal has yet to win the season-ending championship. However, this year the Spaniard is looking to change his fate at the O2 Arena. In a recent interview, he admitted to have started serving "very slowly" after suffering the stomach injury.

When asked if he would be ready to play, Nadal said, "If we were thinking we would not be able to play, we would probably not be here. I am confident that I can be very competitive - but of course, it's a tournament in which you will face the top guys from the beginning, so you need to be 100% ready. But I really hope I will be able to serve every single day a little better and my hope is to be serving normally on Sunday."

The 19-time Grand Slam Champion couldn't take part in last year's ATP Finals also because of an injury. In the 2017 event, he had to pull out after just one match because of a knee problem. Coincidentally, this year too, Nadal suffered an injury just a week before the event. However, he is still determined to compete in the tournament.

BBC reports that if Nadal ends up winning the title, he will finish the year as number one. However, if he fails, Djokovic will have an opportunity to secure the number one position. Statistically, the Serbian icon will finish the year as number one if he wins the title and simultaneously, if Nadal fails to reach the semis.

A few days earlier, Djokovic claimed that ending the year as number one and winning a Grand Slam are the "two biggest achievements" for a tennis player.