"Ruud did what he was told to do; this can't be any more obvious" - Tennis fans divided over Rafael Nadal's sole ATP Finals win, over protege Casper Ruud

Rafael Nadal’s victory over Casper Ruud in the ATP Finals has received mixed reactions from tennis fans. The Spaniard and the Norwegian were contesting a dead rubber, as Nadal was already eliminated from the tournament and Ruud had already qualified for the semifinals.

Nadal, who was on a four-match losing streak and hadn’t won a single set in the ATP Finals, made a stunning recovery in his final match at the tournament to score a straight-sets victory over his 23-year-old protégé. The 22-time Grand Slam champion managed to close out both sets with a break in the 12th game to settle the score at 7-5, 7-5.

"I trained well. Maybe I didn't have enough matches to be at the required level," Nadal said after the match. "There was not enough self-confidence, after a difficult six months. That's the way it is. I accept that the season didn't end the way I wanted, but at least it ended with a win. That was important, it's the last match of the season, so I'm happy about that. I was able to beat a great player."

Tennis fans, however, were divided over Nadal's win. While many congratulated the 36-year-old for the triumph, a few questioned the credibility of the result.

Some fans were of the opinion that Ruud, who had emerged as the winner in both his previous encounters, deliberately granted the victory to his mentor and childhood idol as it was inconsequential match-up.

"Congrats to Rafa on the Mickey Mouse win. Casper very clearly threw today with nothing to play for/give one of his idols a token win on the way out of the season," one individual said.

On the other hand, many ardent Nadal fans were elated that he was able to have a winning end to his highly successful 2022 season.

"Great to end the season with a win. Indoor yes. Pity that it doesn’t count anymore. But at least you live Turin with a beautiful match and win, Rafa now take some rest and then let’s prepare yourself well for 2023. Thank you always for the emotions you give to me," one fan remarked.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

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Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud to compete in Latin American exhibition tour after ATP Finals

Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud will tour around Latin America in late November

While Rafael Nadal’s run at the ATP Finals has come to an end, Casper Ruud is still in contention for the title, and awaits the winner of Andrey Rublev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals. Soon after the conclusion of the ATP Finals on November 20, Nadal and Ruud will travel to Latin America to embark on an exhibition tour around five cities.

They will commence their tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 23, where they will take on each other, partnering with Gabriela Sabatini and Gisela Dulko. The other four matches will be hosted in Bogota, Quito, Belo Horizonte and Mexico.