The legendary Rafael Nadal is heading back to the U.S. Open.
James Hansen of The Athletic reported Wednesday that Nadal, who is currently ranked No. 261, entered the men’s singles draw with his protected injury ranking of No. 9. While that allows him to enter the field, it will not allow him to gain a seeding.
Nadal did not participate in the 2023 tournament because he was recovering from injury.
While the 38-year-old is past his peak, he will provide plenty of star power to the New York tournament with his presence.
After all, he is a four-time U.S. Open champion and last won it in 2019. He also prevailed in 2010, 2013 and 2017 and defeated Novak Djokovic in the final for his first two U.S. Open crowns.
Nadal played well at the tournament in 2022 to reach the round of 16 but lost a back-and-forth showdown with Frances Tiafoe.
Despite battling through injuries of late that have impacted his form, Nadal is a 22-time Grand Slam champion and one of the best players in tennis history. He surely will not be an easy out for any opponent, which he proved even in a first-round loss earlier this year in the French Open.
He also used his protected injury ranking to enter that tournament but was given the daunting first-round matchup of then No. 4 Alexander Zverev. To Nadal’s credit, he pushed the match to a full three sets before losing.
Perhaps he will get a more favorable draw in the U.S. Open, which would allow him to advance further into the tournament.
Hansen noted he also plans to participate in the Paris Olympics in both singles and doubles. His playing partner will be Carlos Alcaraz, who is fresh off a Wimbledon championship with a victory over Djokovic in the final.
That means tennis fans will still have multiple opportunities to see Nadal on a significant stage this summer even if he isn’t playing as much as he did in the past.
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