Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Rafael Nadal capped another memorable year by winning the Mubadala World Tennis Championship for a record fifth time on Saturday night, edging Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(3)  7-5  7-6(3) in an absorbing final.

Nadal, 33, warned on the eve of the tournament that he was not in the best condition after a limited off-season due to his involvement in Spain’s victorious Davis Cup campaign at the end of November. He could have fooled us, bringing his trademark intensity to the Abu Dhabi final to see off a player in sensational form following his breakthrough victory at the ATP Finals last month.

The umpire was likely the most relieved man in the stadium after an incorrect decision during the first set tiebreak denied Nadal the chance to stay alive. Trailing 3-5, Nadal should have been awarded a point after Tsitsipas incorrectly challenged, but instead the umpire demanded the point be replayed. Tsitsipas would win the subsequent point before claiming the set.

#MWTC 2019 SF Rafael Nadal bt. Karen Khachanov  6-1 6-3

Final: Nadal v Tsitsipas 

Rafael Nadal believes his quick turnaround from last season has given him the momentum to “keep going” after reaching the Mubadala World Tennis Championship final.

World No. 1 Rafa Nadal, World No. 2 Novak Djokovic and five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova joined forces today to prove why the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, which runs until December 21, is ‘the best’ in regional tennis.

Swapping the hardcourts of Abu Dhabi’s International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City for the natural white sand beaches of Saadiyat Island, the trio were challenged to knock down seven giant letters spelling ‘THE BEST’ using only 36 balls, or 12 each – a nod to the 12th edition of the Arabian Gulf’s most intimate tennis experience.

Sharapova was the first to find her range, knocking over the first letter with a crunching forehand. The global superstar’s shot inspired the trio, who have amassed a collective 40 Grand Slam titles between them, to blast through the remaining six letters with a few balls to spare.