Google News Murray: "Crowd absence didn't affect Rafael Nadal's performance"
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Rafael Nadal will have to wait at least another year to win his first career title at the ATP Finals. Despite having expressed a very high level during the tournament, the Spanish phenomenon surrendered in the semifinals to the future champion Daniil Medvedev.
The number 4 in the world has made a crazy comeback from 3-6 4-5, with the 34-year-old Majorcan unable to close the match in the second set. For the 20-time Grand Slam champion, it really seemed like a good year, so much so that Rafa himself admitted he had missed a huge chance having been very fresh in London.
Many fans even believe that one of the reasons Nadal was unable to win was the absence of the crowd. However, former world number 1 Andy Murray disagrees with this reflection. The Brit believes that the crowd would not have affected the performance of a legend like Rafa.
The Iberian can console himself by having equaled the Slam record of his eternal rival Roger Federer.
Murray: "Nadal dominated the Roland Garros without the crowd"
"Playing in a full stadium can sometimes also be a help for your opponent.
I don't think the absence of the crowd affected Nadal's performance too much. As we saw a short time ago at Roland Garros this year, there were no spectators but he still dominated the tournament," explained the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Nadal did not look for excuses after the defeat against Medvedev: "I think I have achieved enough in my career, so I don't need to find excuses. I think I played a good match and I can't deny I missed a great opportunity. The little details made the difference, I can only congratulate him.
Also next year my main focus will be to play as many tournaments and try to win. My motivation is always the same. The next will be an important year. I will work hard during the off-season to be ready from the start." On the ATP Finals Murray said: "It is definitely a tournament he would have liked to win.
Hard indoor is not his best surface and it is likely that if the Masters had been played on clay for the past 10-12 years, he might have won it. six or seven times. There is no denying that the surface has been a determining factor in this regard.
It all depends on preferences and playing styles, there are many factors that come into play. Rafa has always been very motivated and would really like to win This tournament. Indoor fast is simply not his favorite surface to face the best players," added the Scot.
