Nadal out of US Open
►Spaniard says foot problem almost finished career in 2005 ►Djokovic now front-runner to win record 21st grand slam
Rafael Nadal is the latest player to pull out of the US Open having called time on his 2021 season. The 20-time grand slam champion is still being troubled by the foot injury he aggravated at the French Open. Defending champion Dominic Thiem, five-time winner Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka had already pulled out.
Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the US Open and called time on his 2021 season after revealing his foot injury is a recurrence of one that doctors thought might end his career in 2005.
The 35-year-old has been suffering from the injury since the French Open, when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, and missed both Wimbledon and the Olympics because of the issue.
Nadal has said in a statement posted to social media that he has struggled to train during the past year, revealing that he first suffered the problem 16 years ago.
The Spaniard recovered fully on that occasion, but has only said he is “confident” of doing so this time, adding that he will “fight every day” to ensure he can return to the sport.
“Honestly, I have been suffering a lot more than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take some time,” Nadal said. “Having discussed it with the team and family, this decision has been made and I believe that it is the way forward to try to recover and recover well.
“It is a year that I have missed things that matter a lot to me, such as Wimbledon, such as the Olympics, how the United States Open is going to be now, [and] many other events that are also important to me.
“During the latter year I have not had the ability to train and prepare and compete in the way that I really like to. I came to the conclusion that what I need is time to recover.”
Nadal, a four-time US Open champion, becomes the latest big name to pull out of the final major tournament of the year.
Reigning champion Dominic Thiem withdrew this week through injury, after Roger Federer confirmed last week that he would miss out because of undergoing a third surgery on his knee injury.
While Nadal’s long-time rival said he had been left with only a “glimmer of hope” of a full recovery, the Spaniard was more optimistic.
“I am [determined] to do whatever it takes to regain the best possible shape, to continue competing for the things that really motivate me and the things that I have done during all these years,” Nadal said.
“The injury is nothing new, it’s the same injury I had in 2005. In that moment doctors were very negative about my future career, but I was able to have a career that I never dreamt about. So I am confident that I will recover again.
“The only thing you can be sure of is that I am going to fight every single day to make that happen.”
The absence of Nadal and Federer opens the door for Djokovic to overtake them both to become the most successful male player of the Open era.
At Wimbledon in July, Djokovic equalled Federer and Nadal’s record of 20 grand slam singles titles, and is the front-runner to secure his 21st in New York next month.