"I finally won a match as dad" - new father Rafael Nadal elated at ATP Finals win over Casper Ruud

On the back of a brilliant 2022 season, tennis ace Rafael Nadal qualified for the ATP Finals for the 11th time in his illustrious career. The Spaniard, who is yet to win a season-ending title, was unlucky at the 2022 event as well, crashing out at the group stage itself. However, he managed to find a silver lining after his final encounter at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Nadal was on a four-match losing streak, his first since 2009, but he turned things around on his way out of Turin with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Casper Ruud on Thursday.

The 22-time Slam champion's positive result was of little importance, as he was already eliminated from the competition owing to prior losses against Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime. However, Nadal was happy to register his first victory as a father and end his 2022 season on a positive note.

"I finally won a match as dad because I had three losses in a row" – a happy Rafael Nadal said in Italian during his on-court interview, referring to losses against Tommy Paul at the Paris Masters and the recent two at ATP Finals.

Rafael Nadal and his wife Maria Francisca Perello welcomed their first child, a baby boy, on October 8, 2022. The ATP Finals was the first time that the 22-time Grand Slam champion was accompanied by Maria and their newborn son.

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"I will be home for a while, family and work" - Rafael Nadal weighs in on the positives of his ATP Finals exit

Rafael Nadal heads back home to Mallorca after Turin exit

Nadal is out of the competition at ATP Finals, but he has a lot of positives to look forward to. The 36-year-old is excited about getting to spend a few relaxing days with his wife and baby son at their home in Mallorca, before he leaves for his Latin America exhibition tour with Casper Ruud.

Nadal stated on Thursday that he would also get a few practice sessions in and focus on his health to prepare for the 2023 season. The new father also remarked that his decision-making process is different now that he has a baby son.

"Going to be back home and try to enjoy little bit the fact that I will be home for a while, family and work. Well, work? For me is not work, is practice. Just practice, try to make the right plan to be able to stay healthy enough and to stay ready for the beginning of the next season. How early? I can't tell you yet because, as you can imagine now, my life changed a little bit. I don't make unilateral decisions. I need to check a little bit," Rafael Nadal said during his post-match presser.