It’s not quite been the week Rafael Nadal might’ve expected at the Paris Masters.

After earning a bye in round one of the final event before the ATP World Tour Finals, the 31-year-old confirmed he will end 2017 as World No. 1 with a comfortable win over South Korean Hyeon Chung.

Nadal followed up the momentous victory by defeating Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, but that’s where his joy ended.

The Spaniard was forced to withdraw from the tournament ahead of his quarter-final clash against Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic due to an all-too-familiar knee issue.

Naturally, Nadal was devastated to be unable to see out an event in a city where he has experienced great success throughout his career.

“I have to pull out. It’s a very hard decision for me,” he told reporters, via the Express.

“Pulling out from anywhere is tough but especially from here, from Paris. As I’ve said a lot of times, it’s the most important city in my career without a doubt.”

The injury has raised speculation about whether Nadal will push himself to contest the year-end championships in London.

Unlike much of his 16 years on the professional circuit, Paris has been less than kind to the ten-time French Open winner on this occasion.

But just when Nadal’s tournament couldn’t get any worse, some newly-emerged footage has shown his woes extended beyond the court.

Most high-profile tournaments grant players access to a secluded entrance to the event facilities, and as one would expect, the Paris Masters is no different.

Nadal – renowned for his rigorous training regime – opted to make use of the practice courts during his unusually brief stay in the French capital.

SECURITY INCIDENT

However, when the ‘King of Clay’ approached security, his presence was met with a reaction he can be far from accustomed to.

As he offered the guard on duty a friendly greeting, Nadal was quickly blocked and asked: “Who are you?”

While some top players would fly off the handle at failing to be recognised, the Mallorca native responded by stating his full name in a typically polite manner.

He was then waved through security and allowed to enter the grounds.

Check out the funny exchange for yourself in the video below.

VIDEO

Nadal has developed a reputation as one of the classiest men on tour, earning near-universal respect from his peers and fans alike.

Subsequently, his behaviour in this incident is nothing less than one would expect, though seeing one of the all-time greats at his charming best will never get old.