Rafael Nadal defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets to end the ATP Finals with victory despite failing to reach the semis.
Nadal, who was the highest-ranked player in the event with injured world number one Carlos Alcaraz, had lost his first two matches in the green group.
The 36-year-old Spaniard beat the Norwegian 7-5 7-5 in Turin, Italy.
“I trained well,” said Nadal, who has been struggling with injuries since withdrawal from Wimbledon.
“Just probably not enough matches to be at the level I needed. Not enough confidence, probably, after six difficult months.
“That’s how it is. I accept that the season didn’t end the way I wanted. At least I finished with a positive win.”
While elimination at the ATP Finals denied him a year-end world number one spot, Nadal won the Australian Open and French Open in 2022.
“I can’t ask for more,” Nadal said. “2022 had six difficult months, two Grand Slams and ended the year at the top of the table.
“At my age, being able to succeed and be competitive means a lot to me.
“For 2023, let’s just try to have the right preparation, work the right way and start the season with the right energy, the right attitude, to reach the level I need to be competitive from the start. Let’s try , I’m excited about it.”
American Taylor Fritz beat Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 6-7 6-2 in a three-set thriller to join Ruud, who had already qualified, in the semi-finals.
Fritz won the first set tie-break then Auger-Aliassime equalized the match, before Fritz sealed his progress in the deciding set.
Meanwhile, Great Britain secured success in the men’s doubles as Joe Salisbury and Lloyd Glasspool won their final Red Group matches with their respective partners.
Red group winners Salisbury and American Rajiv Ram beat Marcelo Arevalo 3-6 7-6 10-5, while runners-up Glasspool and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara edged past Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-0 6-4.
The British and their partners are in the semi-finals.
