Rafael Nadal has had a turbulent 2021 season so far. The Spaniard started the season well, reaching the quarterfinals in every tournament he took part in till the French Open. However, following his loss to Novak Djokovic in the French Open, he suffered a lengthy layoff due to injury.
The layoff saw him withdraw from Wimbledon and the subsequent Tokyo Olympics. Although he returned to action in the Citi Open, he announced his withdrawal from the upcoming National Bank Open. With just under three weeks to go for the US Open, this presents a major blow to the 35-year-old’s preparations.
Rafael Nadal withdraws from the National Bank Open to place the spotlight on injury concerns
Nadal came into the Australian Open as a favorite given his World No. 2 ranking. However, he suffered a loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals despite leading by two sets. He also failed to add a 14th French Open title after losing a titanic four-setter to Djokovic in the final.
After a long injury layoff, he returned to the court in the Citi Open. During his first round victory over Jack Sock, the Spaniard struggled in various parts of the match, hobbling around the court on occasion.
WOW-ing in Washington
@RafaelNadal was made to work on his DC debut but gets it done against Sock 6-2 4-6 7-6 in a nighttime epic!#CitiOpen pic.twitter.com/lbfwcMxx1F
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 5, 2021
However, he lost his third round match to Lloyd Harris 4-6, 6-1, 4-6. Although he admitted his foot during the match was better than the game against Sock, he withdrew from the National Bank Open, formerly known as the Rogers Cup.
A message from @RafaelNadal himself.
Wishing you a speedy recovery, champ.
pic.twitter.com/H77L3wWHc8
— National Bank Open (@NBOtoronto) August 10, 2021
This withdrawal hints at the possibility of Nadal not being 100% fit before the Citi Open. However, there could be hope for Nadal fans across the world given his displays in Washington.
READ MORE: All You Need To Know About Rafael Nadal’s Training Routine
Will Nadal be the first among the Big 3 to withdraw from the US Open?
With the US Open beginning on August 30, only 18 days remain for Nadal to regain full fitness. However, Djokovic and Roger Federer also cast doubts on their participation in Flushing Meadows after withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open and National Bank Open as well. Both tournaments serve as warmup tournaments for the hard court Grand Slam.
Should they take part in the US Open this year, all three of them will be gunning for a 21st career Grand Slam. With his withdrawal from the National Bank Open, is Nadal saving himself for Flushing Meadows? Or is the foot injury much more serious than it seems for the World No. 4?
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