The US Open and Rafael Nadal fans were shocked when the Spaniard announced that he won’t be defending his title at the US Open. And interestingly so the US Open will be the first Grand Slam since 1999 to not have either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.

The US is still dealing with a lot of Coronavirus cases. And so Nadal is not the only one who withdrew from the Grand Slam. WTA World No.1 Ash Barty had also withdrawn citing traveling to the US is a risk she couldn’t afford for herself and her team.

“If I am going to compete, all my senses have to be focused” – Rafael Nadal

In a Q/A session Rafa explained the reasons for the withdrawal. Saying that the COVID situation in the US was not under control and so after consulting with his team he decided to skip the US Open.

“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.” Rafa said

Also, the resuming schedule has 3 tournaments in 6 weeks. This includes the US Open followed by the Italian Open and then the French Open. The schedule is cramped up and so the risk of an injury is very high. The players have not played for 5 months and making the transition from the hardcourt in the US to clay in Europe will be tough. So even this reason prompted Rafa to skip the US Open.

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“Second, the schedule is challenging after many months without competing. Going from hardcourt to clay, with hardly any time for preparation, is dangerous for my body and my future,” he said

“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,” he added

Read More: Toni Nadal Skeptical of Rafael Nadal’s Result at French Open 2020

Nadal has been practicing on clay courts since July. He will be ready to fire at his favorite surface and extend his records.

Source: Tennis Head