Nadal aims to carry Olympic boost into US Open

RAFA NADAL was exhausted yet exhilarated following his emotional return to action at this month’s Rio Olympics after an injury-absence and is looking forward to gearing back up for the US Open starting today.

“If you’re not excited about the US Open, you’re not a tennis player,” Nadal,

told reporters. Injuries are affecting several top players heading into the last grand slam of the year in a season made even more hectic with the Olympics squeezed into the schedule.

Men’s top seed Novak Djokovic, like Nadal, is also dealing with a wrist injury and women’s number one Serena Williams is coping with a sore right shoulder.

Lefthander Nadal, sidelined after being unable to play his third-round match at the French Open because of an injured left wrist, decided to test himself in Rio.

“I was two months and a half outside of the competition, and not only outside of the competition, outside the practice courts. I couldn’t practice,” the Spanish fourth seed said at Flushing Meadows on Friday.

Nadal, 30, said he was determined to give it a try in Rio and ended up feeling good enough to compete in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

“The motivation, the passion, sharing moments with the team helped a lot,” said Nadal, who reached the Rio singles semi-finals and won gold in doubles with his friend Marc Lopez.

“Winning a gold medal is always something unique, and I think I enjoyed it as much as I can during the whole event,” he said.

“I finished the tournament completely exhausted ... no more energy inside of my body.”

Nadal carried on straight from Rio to Cincinnati where he won his opening match before losing to teenager Borna Coric of Crotia.

“I am better, I am a little bit better,” said Nadal. “It’s true that the wrist bothers me a little bit less every day. I need to understand again to hit my normal forehand. During the wrist injury, always you try to find movements to avoid the pain.

“Today I can start the forehand, I think my normal forehand, but still needs time to feel that I am more confident on my wrist. But I am practicing well and I am competing well.”

Nadal hopes his Rio elation carries over to the Open, which he won in 2010 and 2013.

“I have been playing at a very high level. So that helped me to play well in the Olympics, and I hope it’s going to help me to play well here,” the 14-times grand slam winner said. “When you go to the Olympics and finally you win a medal, it’s just the most important thing that you can do. So I’m just very happy for that, one medal for my country.”

Nadal will play his first-round Open match against Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, who reached the fourth round in New York in 2012 but is 7-20 this season. – Reuters ANGELIQUE KERBER says she is ready to deal with the increasing pressure as she targets US Open glory and the world number one ranking.

Victory for the Australian Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up would see Kerber (pictured) knock Serena Williams off the top spot she has held since early 2013.

Kerber missed the chance to usurp Williams last week when she lost in the final of the Cincinnati Open but says she is trying to focus simply on doing her job.

“I will not put too much pressure on this,” the 28-year-old told reporters at Flushing Meadows on the eve of the event.

“If the day will come I will reach number one, it would be amazing but I will not think too much (about it).

“I will try to enjoy every moment right now because it’s one of the best seasons of my career so far.”

The 28-year-old German, who won her first grand-slam title in Melbourne at the start of the year, lacked belief in the early part of her career.

Her run to the semi-finals in New York in 2011 was the catalyst for her rise up the rankings, but it was a trip to see former world number one Steffi Graf in Las Vegas in early 2015 that really did the trick.

Graf, who shares the Open-era grand-slam record of 22 wins with Williams, told Kerber she was on the right track and to go easier on herself.

Her win over Williams in the Australian Open final was an enormous boost to her confidence and after an early French Open exit, she bounced back superbly to reach the final at Wimbledon.

Now, with a major title under her belt, Kerber feels better equipped to handle the expectations.

“The pressure, for sure, is maybe a little bit higher, but if I’m not putting the pressure on myself, everything is fine,” the world number two said.

Kerber, who picked up a silver medal at the Olympics, losing to Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig in the final, begins her US challenge against Polona Hercog, of Slovenia.

But although she is tipped for the title she knows that Williams, despite a shoulder concern, is still the one to beat.

“(It’s) Serena and the rest of the field,” she said, laughing. “No, we will see. There are a lot of good players right now and we’ll see how Serena plays.

“I’m feeling good because I have had great matches in the last (few) weeks and especially a lot of positive emotions. I have a lot of confidence to be here again.” – Reuters