Rafael Nadal pulled out of the US Open on Wednesday, making it the third Grand Slam match he has missed this season and elevating extra questions on his future in tennis at age 38.
Nadal wrote on social media that he’ll miss “these electrical and particular evening periods” in Arthur Ashe Stadium, “however I do not assume I might be capable to give my 100% this time.”
He added that his subsequent occasion would be the Laver Cup in Berlin from Sept. 20 to 22. Nadal teamed with Roger Federer in a doubles match at that occasion in 2022, when Federer performed for the ultimate time earlier than his retirement.
Hello all, writing in the present day to allow you to guys know that I’ve determined to not compete at this yr’s US Open a spot the place I’ve superb reminiscences.
I’ll miss these electrical and particular evening periods in NYC at Ashe, however I do not assume I might be capable to give my 100% this time.
Thanks… pic.twitter.com/FluGRWUzIp— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) August 7, 2024
Nadal’s announcement was not a lot of a shock. Sure, he was on the official entry listing launched final month for New York, however that was extra of a formality than something and didn’t preclude the 22-time main champion from withdrawing at any level earlier than competitors begins Aug. 26.
Plus, Nadal telegraphed this information per week in the past after his participation within the 2024 Olympics for Spain ended with a quarterfinal loss in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz. That adopted a second-round loss in singles to rival Novak Djokovic, who left Paris with the lads’s gold medal.
When he was requested then about enjoying on the US Open, Nadal paused for some time earlier than responding.
“Seems like not. However I’ll let you realize quickly,” he stated. “For me, now, I am unable to offer you a transparent reply. I want a while, however for me, [it] appears troublesome.”
Nadal has not introduced something a few doable retirement, however given his age and a latest historical past of accidents — together with hip surgical procedure in 2023 and belly muscle points in 2024 that restricted his variety of matches the previous two seasons — it appears secure to say he in all probability doesn’t have a lot left in him.
He’s a four-time champion on the US Open, taking the titles in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019. However the absence this time means he may have sat out the hard-court match in 4 of the previous 5 years; the exception was 2022, when he misplaced within the fourth spherical to Frances Tiafoe.
In 2023, Nadal damage his hip in the course of the Australian Open in January and was pressured to skip the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. This yr, he damage a muscle close to the hip throughout a tuneup occasion earlier than the Australian Open, so he sat that out. He then performed on the French Open in Could, however misplaced within the first spherical to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev. Nadal opted to skip Wimbledon final month so he would not should handle the transition from the clay at Roland Garros to the grass on the All England Membership, earlier than returning to clay for the Olympics.
Nadal owns a document 14 titles from the French Open, and two apiece from Wimbledon and the Australian Open. His most up-to-date two Slam trophies arrived in 2022, at Melbourne in January and at Paris in June, pushing him forward of Roger Federer for the then-record of 20 Grand Slam titles for a person.
Federer introduced his retirement when he was 41 on the finish of the 2022 season, shortly earlier than bidding adieu by teaming with Nadal in a doubles match on the Laver Cup. Each have since been surpassed within the Grand Slam rely by Djokovic, who reached 24 by successful final yr’s US Open.
The U.S. Tennis Affiliation stated that Nadal’s place within the match could be taken by Mackie McDonald, the American who’s No. 93, making him the highest-ranked man not but within the area. McDonald defeated Nadal on the 2023 Australian Open.
The draw to set the brackets for the 2024 US Open is scheduled for Aug. 22.