Nadal will also be missing from the US Open

Early defeat in Washington, retirement in Toronto and return to Spain. Rafael Nadal, who always has the foot problem that haunts him from Roland Garros, confirmed yesterday that he will not play until the US Open (30 August 12 September). “I have to solve the problem and it will take some time. If I want to continue playing in the next few years, if I want to continue playing in the next few years,” said Majorcan, who has practically only played two matches since his semi-final defeat at Roland Garros last June against Novak Djokovic, I must be healthy.

Rafa, who missed the short season on grass (notably Wimbledon) and the Tokyo Olympics, was hoping to be able to recover at least in the North American hard surface tournaments and, above all, in the Grand Slam final in New York. , where he signed 4 of his 20 major titles (2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019). vain hope. “For me, on the athletic front, it wasn’t a lucky year,” Rafa said. I couldn’t get what I wanted. Skipping Wimbledon, the Games and the US Open are mandatory choices. On the other hand, I can only choose the most reasonable solution, especially looking into the future. You all know me. If I set myself a goal, I want to achieve it, but it can’t be improvised. If training is missing, if I cannot prepare myself in the best way, it is appropriate to wait for the right moment. Take the time to recover. I will definitely understand what is the best treatment to ensure that the feet return to perfect condition. In short, I absolutely do not want to rush and compromise on the future, because my intention is to stay in the ring for a longer time.”

Rafa Nadal is not a hero who complains for a while. On the contrary, he is a workaholic and always wants to be in the best physical condition to embark on new sports adventures. On the other hand, foot injury has been an ongoing problem for several years, at least since 2005. On several occasions, the Iberian has had to cut back on his commitments. Over the years, he’s also used to missing out on big dates. The organizers of the Australian Open, which should be played at the start of next season (Editor: The condition is a must because everything will depend on the development of the pandemic) have already sent Rafa their best wishes in the hope that he can see him again, on the pitch in Melbourne. Majorcan, current no. Fourth place in the world rankings – led by Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas – has not lost the confidence that has always distinguished him. On the contrary, he wished to thank all those who sent him good wishes for a speedy recovery. “The support of those close to me at this moment is very important to my morale. I can assure you that I will do everything in my power to get back to playing at the best level and be able to do that for a while,” Rafa confirmed.

Novak dreams of the four grand slams

In recent weeks, great tennis has had to do without three phenomena. Roger’s long absence (the third operation in the knee, at best, will force him out of the fields for several months) was joined by Ravas, who has set a date for 2022, but in a mysterious way. In the preparatory tournaments for the US Open, let’s not forget, we didn’t even see Djokovic on the field, who returned from Tokyo very bitterly and also with some uncertainty about his physical condition. Success in the US Open, of course, could allow him to realize a dream: the Grand Slam that had not been achieved since 1969, when Rod Laver achieved it. Precisely for this reason, the Serb also preferred to stop.