With the title of Rome, Rafael Nadal is all the rage in the No.1 end-of-year battle with Novak Djokovic | ATP Tour

Rafael Nadal did not come to win his first title of 2019 Sunday at Internazionali BNL d'Italia. By beating Novak Djokovic (seeded) in the final, the Spaniard, aged 32, also set fire to the powders for the Serbian during the battle for the No.1 end-of-year ranking. from ATP.

With the 1,000 ATP ranking points that Nadal (3,505) won during his triumph at Foro Italico, the ninth champion of Rome now leads first, Djokovic (4,005), of only 500 points in the ATP Race To London ranking barometer of the # 1 ATP ranking of the end of the year. Had Djokovic emerged victorious, he would have taken a lead of 1,300 points in the race.

Watch the highlights of the Rome Final:

On clay Paris, Nadal could take the lead, regardless of the performance of Djokovic in winning his 12th Cup of Musketeers. As the winner of Roland-Garros wins 800 points more than the finalist, Nadal would take the lead even if Djokovic was his opponent in the final.

Thus, although the dominance of Djokovic on the first place of the ATP ranking is not threatened in the immediate because the defending champion Nadal can not earn extra points at Roland Garros this year, the battle for the end of the year No. 1 is ardent. Djokovic thinks his rival is the player to watch in the second Grand Slam championship of the season.

"Nadal [is the] number one favorite, without a doubt, then everyone, "said Djokovic.

Just a week ago, the tennis world wondered about Nadal's status. He had not yet won a trophy this year, his longest trophy drought early in the season since 2004, when he won his first crown at the Sopot tour in August. The world No. 2 arrived in the Italian capital without going to the finals on clay in three tries; all semi-finals in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid.

But Nadal now has the wind in the sails at Roland Garros. It may not be clear until the end of the year when Djokovic will start losing more points in his ATP rankings, but Nadal strives to fight for first place at the end of the year. ;year.