Doubts have been raised over Rafael Nadal’s fitness going into the US Open after he pulled out a second tournament due to an ongoing foot injury.
Less than 24 hours after he withdrew from the National Bank Open in Canada, it has been confirmed that the 20-time Grand Slam champion will also skip the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati which will take place next week. The Masters tournament is usually used by players as a tune-up before the last Grand Slam of the season. Nadal has only won the tournament once which was back in 2013.
The 35-year-old returned to competition last week at the Citi Open in Washington where he won his opening match before losing to South Africa’s Lloyd Harris. It was his first taste of competitive tennis since June after being sidelined with a left foot issue. During his absence from the Tour, the Spaniard said he was unable to play tennis for 20 days.
“I need to go back and try to find a way to be better again, no? At the end of the day, for me, the most important thing is [to] enjoy playing tennis. Today, with this pain, I am not able to enjoy it,” Nadal told reporters in Canada on Tuesday. “And I really don’t believe that I have chances to fight for the things that I really need to fight for.”
Nadal now faces a race against time to be fit for the US Open which will start in less than three weeks. He missed the New York major last year due to travel concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has never missed the same major event two years in a row since making his main draw debut at the 2003 French Open.
Another player to pull out of Cincinnati is Milos Raonic who continues to be troubled by injury. The Canadian has only played five tournaments so far this season where he has won seven out of 12 matches played. Roger Federer will also be absent due to his ongoing knee problem and Novak Djokovic is taking an extended break to recover following the Olympics in Tokyo. It is the first time every member of the Big Three will not be playing since 2001.
As for the women’s draw, which will take place during the same week, notable absentees include both of the Williams sisters and Sofia Kenin.
The Cincinnati Open main draw will start on Monday.
