• ATP World Tour Finals

No doubts about Nadal return - Federer

Ismail Vedat at the O2
November 6, 2013
Nadal remains philosophical

Roger Federer insists he never doubted whether Rafael Nadal would make a comeback to the sport, and believes the Spaniard deserves to be world No. 1 come the end of the year.

Nadal requires one victory to finish the season as the top-ranked player, and Federer is not surprised at the level Nadal has performed at in 2013 after more than seven months out with a knee injury.

"I expected Rafa to come back strong. I didn't believe that maybe he was [not] going to make it. He's too good of a player," Federer said.

Nadal has won 10 titles since returning to the ATP circuit in February, including an eighth French Open and a second US Open crown.

And Federer believes the triumphs of the season demonstrate how Nadal has developed into more of a complete player.

"He's so tough on clay, and he's improved so much over the years on other surfaces. He's proved himself everywhere," Federer stated.

"I'm happy for him he was able to take the time and happy for him that things went probably much better than actually he thought himself. It's been a terrific year and clearly he would deserve to be world No. 1 after the season he had."

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