Rafael Nadal has made the decision to withdraw from the U.S. Open due to concerns regarding his physical condition, as stated by the Spanish tennis player on Wednesday. He also mentioned that his next tournament will be the Laver Cup at the end of September.
This will be the second consecutive year that Nadal has chosen not to participate in the final Grand Slam of the year, despite having won the tournament four times, with his most recent victory occurring in 2019.
In a post on X, the 38-year-old Nadal expressed his thoughts, saying, “I am writing today to inform you all that I have decided not to compete in this year’s US Open, a place where I have created incredible memories. I will miss those exhilarating and memorable night sessions in NYC at Ashe Stadium, but I do not believe that I would be able to give my full effort this time.”
Nadal further revealed that his next scheduled event will be the Laver Cup in Berlin, which is set to take place from September 20-22. Prior to this decision, he participated in the Paris Olympics, where he reached the second round of the singles competition and advanced to the quarter-finals of the doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz, before being defeated by eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
“Rafa is an exceptional champion, and his absence during the 2024 US Open will be felt by the fans and everyone involved in the tournament,” stated Stacey Allaster, the U.S. Open Tournament Director. We extend our best wishes to him and eagerly anticipate his return to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.” After struggling with injuries for the past two years and facing a tough loss against Djokovic at the Olympics, the 38-year-old former world number one has dropped to 159th place in the rankings. In one of his most devastating defeats, Nadal lost 6-1 6-4. In January, Nadal missed the Australian Open due to a minor muscle tear while recovering from a long injury break. Additionally, he suffered an early exit from the French Open in May, losing in the first round. To prepare for the Paris Olympics, where tennis was played on the clay courts at Roland Garros, the Spaniard decided to skip Wimbledon. It was at Roland Garros that he celebrated an astounding 14 French Open titles.
