TENNIS
Will Rafael Nadal play in the 2024 US Open?
Nadal has returned to form at the Swedish Open, defeating Duje Ajdukovic to reach his first final since 2022.
Rafael Nadal continued his return to form on Saturday by defeating Duje Ajdukovic in the semifinals of the Swedish Open to reach his first final in two years.
The 38-year-old opted not to play at Wimbledon, which finished on July 14, but it was revealed last week that his name is on the entry list for the 2024 US Open, which will take place at Flushing Meadows between August 26 and September 8.
Although that would suggest Nadal is of a mind to compete, he has confirmed he won’t make a final decision until later on in the summer.
Will Nadal play in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?
Nadal is due to play in both the men singles and doubles tournaments at the upcoming Olympics, which officially get underway on Friday (July 26) and run through to Sunday, August 11.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will team up with Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles for Spain, and has revealed his participation in the US Open will depend on how he feels after the Olympics.
“I’m going to decide what’s going on after the Olympics,” he said at the Swedish Open. “By the way, I will be playing in the Laver Cup but I am, to be clear, and to not create false expectations, I am not sure at all to be in New York or not”.
In preparation for joining forces with Alcaraz, Nadal had been playing doubles with Casper Ruud in Sweden, although the pair were forced to withdraw from the tournament at the semifinal stages due to the Spaniard reaching the singles final, where he will face Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
In addition to his advancing years, Nadal’s future in the sport has been in doubt for some time because of a series of injury issues. The left-hander has frequently hinted 2024 could be his last year on tour and has carefully managed his scheduled to play in the tournaments most important to him (which appear to be the French Open, the Olympics and the Laver Cup).
How many titles has Nadal won? When was Nadal’s last tournament victory?
On Sunday, Nadal has the opportunity to win his 93rd ATP Tour singles title against Borges. The last of his victories came at the 2022 French Open, where he defeated Ruud in straight sets in the final.