After giving ambiguous answers for the past few months, Rafael Nadal finally revealed his decision regarding his participation in the upcoming US Open 2024. In a heartbreaking social media post, the Spaniard announced that he would be skipping the American-based Grand Slam for the fourth time in the past five years.
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Nadal’s decision to sit out of the US Open 2024 drew reactions from tennis enthusiasts across the globe. While some fans wished the Spaniard well, a majority believed that the 38-year-old was reaching the inevitable end of his career.
We are sorry to hear you won’t be playing in New York City, but we wish you a good rest and recovery. Looking forward to seeing you in Berlin!
— Rafael Nadal Fans (@RafaelNadalFC) August 7, 2024
Damn, this sounds like a retirement announcement
— Doc (Europoor Arc) (@docXBT) August 7, 2024
Hard to believe that Rafa will not be competing in the US open ☹️☹️ pic.twitter.com/V1cLHcMTw8
— Tennis world (@claygrasshard) August 8, 2024
Before the post, Nadal never explicitly spoke about his participation in New York. He always stated that this would be a decision to be made after the Olympics concluded.
“I’m going to decide what’s going on after Olympics… I am not sure at all to be in New York or not. No decision today and the decision will not happen before the end of Olympics,” Nadal said during the Bastad Open 2024.
Nadal says he has entered the US Open but doesn’t know if he will play. His only confirmed tournament after the Olympics is the Laver Cup.
Full press conference https://t.co/lWCZFsNvUu#RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/xbsLIKtaSO
— Tennis Weekly Podcast (@tennisweeklypod) July 18, 2024
Unfortunately, Nadal didn’t have a memorable run at the Paris Olympics. Following a win over Marton Fucsovics, the Spaniard suffered an embarrassing 1-6, 4-6 loss to Novak Djokovic in the second round.
The King of Clay’s journey in the doubles event also didn’t last as long as he would have hoped for. After defeating the teams from Argentina and Netherlands, ‘Nadalcaraz’ lost to America’s Ram-Krajicek pairing.
Rafa’s first-round loss at the French Open 2024 must’ve also played a huge role in him skipping the final Grand Slam of the year. Having only participated on the clay-court surface since returning from injury, this announcement doesn’t come as a surprise.
Hence, fans of the Mallorca native will have to wait for five and a half more weeks before they can watch the 22-time Grand Slam winner participate at the Laver Cup 2024 in Berlin.
