Rafael Nadal capped another memorable year by winning the Mubadala World Tennis Championship for a record fifth time on Saturday night, edging Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7, 7-5 7-6 in an absorbing final.
Nadal, 33, warned on the eve of the tournament that he was not in the best condition after a limited off-season due to his involvement in Spain’s victorious Davis Cup campaign at the end of November. He could have fooled us, bringing his trademark intensity to the Abu Dhabi final to see off a player in sensational form following his breakthrough victory at the ATP Finals last month.