Rafael Nadal to end the year as ATP World Number One

RAFAEL NADAL has become the oldest man to secure the year-end World Number 1 ATP ranking after winning his opening match of the Paris Masters.

After Roger Federer pulled out the tournament, the 31-year-old merely needed to beat to Hyeon Chung in the round of 32 to secure the number one spot, and did so in straight sets.

The Spaniard narrowly edged the first set 7-5 after winning two successive games at 5-5 and was much more dominant in the second, breaking the South Korean in the eighth game to secure a 6-3 victory.

It is the fourth time that the 16-time Grand Slam champion has finished the season at the top of the rankings having previously ended the year as world Number One in 2008, 2010 and 2013.

Nadal will now face unseeded Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas in the last 16.