Rafael Nadal will be the most prominent absent from the upcoming US Open. The Spanish legend didn’t sound very optimistic about playing the American major since the very beginning. Eventually, the world no.2 decided to officialize his withdrawal. While many were more than ready to point at the difficulties in organizing a slam during a pandemic, there was another key reason for Rafa not to play the US Open: the scheduling.
After the reshuffling of the ATP and WTA calendar, part of the clay season was shifted after the US Open. It would have been extremely difficult for Nadal to play back to back the US Open and the events in Madrid and Rome just before the Roland Garros. The Mutua Madrid Open was canceled, but still going all the way at the US Open would have compromised Rafa’s opportunity to have a good run on clay.
Nadal about to getting injured after the US Open
During a recent interview, Rafa confirmed that he was afraid about being injured after the US Open to comment:
“The health situation is the first basic inconvenience when making my decision. The situation seems not in full control, so in this case, after consulting with my team, we decided to skip the US Open.
Second, the schedule is challenging after many months without competing. Going from hard court to clay, with hardly any time for preparation, is dangerous for my body and my future. Then, it is a matter of a personal spirit. The situation is as it is, and my spirit was not high enough to travel to New York and compete.
If I am going to compete, all my senses have to be focused on competition to perform at my best, and it would have been difficult to achieve that these days. Circumstances have forced me to make this decision”
Rafael Nadal in 2020
Ranked no.2, Nadal played his last match on the 29th of February when he beat Taylor Fritz 6-3 6-2 in the final in Acapulco to win his 85th career title.
This year Nadal has a 13-3 win-loss record. Rafael clinched 1 title in Acapulco.
