Rafael Nadal is one of those players who receive adoration for their dedication. The 22 times Grand Slam champion has been through a lot more than a fair share of agony. On top of usual in-match injuries, he plays with a constant risk of his foot injury resurfacing.

He started this season, riding high on form executing magnificent records such as a 20-match win streak. But as the year proceeded, he incurred multiple injuries and now stands in a position where his future in the upcoming Grand Slam is unclear.

Rafael Nadal about his current state

The Spaniard who made runs till the last rounds of all the three Grand Slams is currently in a physical state, which is throwing him out of the events in the initial rounds only. Nadal faced an opening-round defeat in the Cincinnati Masters and, while addressing the media, spoke about his condition. He said. “You lose. You move forward. I know the way. The main thing for me is stay healthy.”

“Have been difficult injury to manage, to be honest. The last month and a half haven’t been easy, because having a tear on the abdominal, you don’t know when is 100% over the thing. So that affects a little bit in terms of not sure if you are able to try your best in every serve.” He added.

The former World no.1 suffered a gruesome abdominal injury during the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships. Though he showed endurance and not only finished the match but also came out victorious against the American Taylor Fritz.

Read more: Rafael Nadal’s Spectacular Win Record Was Once Not Thrashed either by Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic but by a Fellow Spaniard

Thereafter, he circled back to the Cincinnati match and said, “So I say before the tournament, no, I need to take step by step, and happened, and that’s it. Well done for him.” Borna Coric, the Croatian tennis ace, outclassed Nadal in sets of 7-6 (9) 4-6 6-3.

What’s ahead?

Nadal after missing the Montreal based ATP 1000 event and incurring an early exit in the ongoing tournament is gearing up for the last Grand Slam. He will eye the US Open trophy to end the season on a good note unlike last year.

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In 2021, the four times champion failed to defend his title in the American Majors. Therefore, this will be his chance to bring the trophy back home. However, it isn’t going to be an easy feat, as both the reigning champion Daniil Medvedev and the runner-up Novak Djokovic have received green flags for the event.