By Alberto Amalfi
© BNP Paribas Masters

(November 8, 2010) Rafael Nadal returned to the City Of Light today to announce he has no plans to pull the plug on his season. The World No. 1, who withdrew from this week's BNP Paribas Masters minutes before the start of Friday's draw citing left shoulder tendinitis, said he plans to play the ATP World Tour Finals in London starting November 21st.

"I’m going to be practicing soon. I don't know when yet because I have to look at how the tendinitis improves," Nadal told the media at the BNP Paribas Masters press conference in Paris today. "But right now I have almost two weeks for London. I know I have to practice before London for a minimum of one week, so I am sure before next Sunday I am going to be practicing. I’m not worried about London."

The five-time French Open champion was the Paris Indoors runner-up in 2007 and a semifinalist last year. Nadal said his decision to pull out of Paris was partly a preventative measure based on his doctor's advice.

"I have a little bit of tendinitis and I felt a little bit more after Friday. I visited the doctor and he judged that if I play here, it can be worse," Nadal said. "We are in the end of the season, and there’s always lot of matches on my shoulders. I just have to be a little bit careful. For sure it’s disappointing not to be here. It’s the last Masters 1000 of the year, and for sure one of my favorites in the world. It was not an easy decision, but I played all the Masters 1000 this year, all the Grand Slams, and though it’s not a big problem, I have to be careful, because if I had an injury now it can be difficult to play London and to play well in the beginning of the season next year."