Nadal takes back No. 1 ranking to start Shanghai

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 5th October 2013

Nadal takes back No. 1 ranking to start Shanghai

epa03897019 Fans raise a sign as Rafael Nadal (L) of Spain walks to his chair during a semi-final match against Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic in the men's singles of the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, China, 05 October 2013. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA |

Rafael Nadal starts this week’s Shanghai Masters as No. 1 in the world after retaking the top ranking for the first time since 2011.

This emergence came about after reaching the final of the China Open. The Spaniard missed seven months of tennis from summer, 2012 until last February when he made his tentative return, came to Bejing with ten titles in hand in 2013.

His success sends Novak Djokovic down to second after the Serb held the top honor for 101 weeks. Nadal took a 4-2 victory over Tomas Berdych after the Czech quit with back pain following a medical timeout and on-court treatment in their semi-final match.

Nadal has made a miraculous comeback this season, running up trophy after trophy, including grand slam honors at the French and US Opens. Nadal has not lost on a hardcourt in 2013 and now stands 27-0 on the cement which is believed to have been part of the cause for his longstanding knee problems.

Topics: 10sballs, China Open, French Open, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Shanghai Masters, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Tomas Berdych, US Open