Rafael Nadal cautious but excited ahead of ATP Tour return

Rafael Nadal says that he is excited to play tennis again ahead of his return to ATP Tour action at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Nadal hopes to continue to get good results in a season that has brought great success but also tremendous tribulation with multiple injury worries.
The Spaniard could reclaim the World No 1 ranking if he goes all the way in Ohio but he says he has to be careful with his abdominal injury.
Nadal insists that life is good despite his problems, and beemed as he reflected on the impending arrival of his first child.
“The abdominal is the place that is dangerous because in every service you put a lot of effort there, so I need to take things a little bit easier and do the highs the proper way,” Nadal explained.
“Because at the end of the day it’s more than one month without serving and without playing any set.
“So I need to analyze after every day that the abdominal is still OK with no feeling because, as I said, it’s a dangerous thing.
“But things are going well for the moment, so hopefully, I can manage to be ready, and I’m excited.
“I want to play tennis again on the tour.
“I’m having a good season and I’m going to have a baby too so I’m enjoying.
“I want to enjoy this week in Cincinatti.”
Rafael Nadal explains how he deals with pressure after Carlos Alcaraz’s frank admission
Nadal battled through a recurrence of Muller-Weiss disease earlier this season to add a second Australian Open and 14th Roland Garros title to his Major collection.
At Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic pulled one back in the all-time Grand Slam race, but at Flushing Meadows, Nadal will hope to win the US Open for the fifth time and become a 23-time Slam-winner.
He isn’t getting ahead of himself though and is savouring a return to Mason.
“One year ago, I didn’t know if I would ever have a chance to come back to Cincinnati,” said Nadal.
“Here I am. I’m excited for that.”
Nadal isn’t sure what ‘weapons’ will be available to him when he hits the court but hopes to find a good level and first get beyond Borna Ćorić.
“You need to know that when you come back after a while things aren’t going to be better,” Nadal said.
“You can’t expect to play at an amazing level from the beginning.
“Knowing that, accepting that, you have to be able to be humble enough to fight with the tools that you have at the beginning to win the first match. In the Masters 1000s, the opponents are very demanding from the beginning.”
Nadal’s Round of 32 opponent Ćorić has had his own injury worries this season but looked close to his best as he upset Lorenzo Musetti to book his date with the Spaniard.
Tennis fans in the UK hoping to take in Nadal’s opening match in Cincinatti will have to wait until just after midnight on Thursday morning, when the clash is set to take place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Latest
-
Tennis News
‘Novak Djokovic is the perfect athlete for tennis – his body was more ready to last than Rafael Nadal’
“I said that he will probably be the record holder of number of Grand Slams when he had 12 or 13.”
-
Tennis News
John McEnroe names player who could make next Laver Cup a ‘different story’
John McEnroe admits next year’s Laver Cup could be a “different story” after Team World’s crushing victory.
-
Tennis News
Roger Federer reveals his dream Laver Cup doubles pairing for 2024
Federer wants to see Djokovic and Alcaraz play on the same Team Europe in Berlin next year.
-
Tennis News
Muted end to a flat Laver Cup as next year’s host city is revealed
Team World beat Team Europe 13-2 to win a one-sided Laver Cup.
-
Tennis News
Casper Ruud makes honest confession about Laver Cup victory
Casper Ruud has special inspiration at the Laver Cup.
-
Tennis News
ATP Race to Turin set to heat up in Beijing as Jannik Sinner seeks Finals debut
Jannik Sinner will be trading Milan’s catwalks for Beijing’s hard courts.
-
ATP Tour
Timeline of when Carlos Alcaraz could take Novak Djokovic’s No 1 ranking
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are ready to battle it out for the prized year-end world No 1 ranking.
-
Tennis News
Elena Rybakina hits out at WTA over Japan Open draw changes
Elena Rybakina misses out on first roun bye due to WTA experiment.
-
Tennis News
Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff’s US Open prize money sparks fresh equal pay debate
Novak Djokovic was paid $2,730 per minute for his record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open earlier this month.