Why Rafael Nadal Is Not Playing in the US Open ?

Rafael Nadal has opted out of the final Grand Slam tournament of the season and here's why. < /p>

The Rafael Nadal case has been one of the soap operas of the 2024 tennis season. Since his return home to the Barcelona tournament after several months of absence, the presence of the 38-year-old Majorcan on the courts has been the main question at the start of each tournament. After having played in Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Rome and Roland-Garros, Nadal had decided to skip the grass-court season to prepare for the Olympic Games in Paris.

Visibly weakened by an injury to his left thigh, Rafael Nadal was eliminated in the second round by Novak Djokovic, before going out in the doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals. We could have expected to see the Spaniard finally play several tournaments with the return to the United States and the US Open, which he has won four times. But the latter preferred give up, explaining that he “wasn't sure he could give 100%.” The reason was the thigh injury that prevented him from fully participating in the Olympics, and that he has been struggling with for several weeks now without being able to shake it off.

He said after the Olympics that he “didn't think about it every day.” retirement”, the prospect of one day seeing Rafael Nadal again at a Grand Slam tournament is diminishing. “I have suffered from many injuries in the last two years, so if I feel that I am not competitive enough to continue or not physically ready enough, I will tell you.” In a communication as always measured, the Spaniard announced his return to the courts for the Laver Cup at the end of September, but remains measured for the future, and in particular the end of the season. “When I know, you will know, I am in no hurry to make a decision about my future. What is certain is that I will be at the Laver Cup and then we will see,” he told Marca, who had come to watch the match between Mallorca and Real Madrid, his two favourite teams.