Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic at Paris Masters 2022: For only second time this year, top three ranked ATP players set to compete in same event

Rafael Nadal is all set to compete in the 2022 Paris Masters and the ATP Finals. Over the course of his storied career, the Spaniard, who is currently training in his academy in Manacor, has won neither competition.

The announcement makes it official that, for only the second time in 2022, all the top three players in the ATP rankings — Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal, and Casper Ruud — will compete at the same event.

The only previous occasion where the top three players in the world competed in the same event was Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev were the top three players heading into the Paris Major.

The Paris Masters will see the 22-time Grand Slam champion in action for the first time since his US Open fourth-round defeat to Frances Tiafoe. The 36-year-old did compete at the Laver Cup last month, albeit in the doubles alongside the now-retired Swiss star Roger Federer.

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"I'm sure that Nadal will also try to dethrone Alcaraz at the end of this year" - Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal in conversation with Carlos Alcaraz at the Madrid Open.

Young Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz took over the World No. 1 ranking following his US Open win last month, which also saw him become the youngest-ever player to occupy the top spot in the ATP rankings.

While the teenager will be hoping to end the year as the No. 1, he will have to fend off strong challenges from several players — most notably Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

The Serbian, speaking to Sportsal, stated that Nadal will be keen to replace Alcaraz at the top of the rankings by the end of the year.

"Alcaraz is the first in the world and he is the best. There's nothing there. The rankings show that. I played less, that's a fact, a lot of points were taken away, Wimbledon didn't count. Maybe the situation would have been different if the circumstances were different, but there is nothing now. What is there is, he absolutely deserves to be where he is. I congratulate him on all his successes," Djokovic said.

"I think it's great for tennis that such a young guy records such historic results because it attracts a lot of new attention and fresh blood to tennis so we all benefit from that. I'm sure that Nadal will also try to dethrone him at the end of this year because he has the only chance to do it," he added.

Alcaraz has a slender 920 points advantage over his compatriot and idol. The 19-year-old is currently competing at the Swiss Indoors in Basel and will be eager to bag as many points as possible and extend his lead at the top of the sport ahead of the Paris Masters.