2020 Nitto ATP Finals – Rafael Nadal vs Andrey Rublev Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Rafael Nadal vs Andrey Rublev on and what time does it start? Sunday 15th November, 2020 – 20:00 (UK)
Where is Rafael Nadal vs Andrey Rublev taking place? The O2 Arena, London
What channel is Rafael Nadal vs Andrey Rublev on? This match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Rafael Nadal vs Andrey Rublev? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream the match via Amazon Prime Video
Where can I get tickets for Rafael Nadal vs Andrey Rublev? The Nitto ATP Finals will be played without spectators
THE LOWDOWN
RAFAEL NADAL
- World number two Rafael Nadal will be in the unfamiliar territory of entering a tournament he is yet to win when he starts his 10th year-end campaign on Monday.
- With the year-end rankings out of his reach this time around and the added rest of a shortened season there has never been a better opportunity for the Spaniard to win his first ATP Finals title.
- The 34-year-old claimed two titles this year either side of the covid-19 outbreak with an ATP 500 trophy in Mexico accompanying his staggering 13th Roland-Garros title.
ANDREY RUBLEV
- 2020’s form player Andrey Rublev comes into his first ATP Finals campaign as a dark horse for the title after his incredible season, where no player won more than his five tour titles.
- The 23-year-old has followed in the footsteps of Daniil Medvedev with his dominance of a disrupted season, winning three of his eight tournaments played since the re-start in August.
- We shall never know how many more trophies the world number eight could have secured in a full uninterrupted year but Rublev has beaten the likes of Tsitsipas and Thiem in recent months and will fear no-one.
THE PREDICTION
This could well be a benchmark for the whole tournament when world number two Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev meet for the second time on Monday. Nadal was the victor when they met back in 2017, in straight sets, but there is no doubt that the Russian is now a complete player and a rightful member of the top 10. Rublev claimed five ATP titles this season, one more than the world number one Novak Djokovic, and massively improved on his Grand Slam efforts too. The 23-year-old can beat anyone this week, and the indoor conditions should be noted against Nadal, who recently had trouble against Alexander Zverev in the similarly enclosed Paris Masters. However, a debut at this prestigious tournament against the man most desperately seeking it could be too much. Nadal will have learned lessons from his recent Paris Masters semi-final loss to Zverev and will come in hard and fast against the powerful Russian. It is testament to Rublev’s year that this could really go either way, and he has every right to a set here, but experience has to be backed in this instance and Nadal should take the decider.
