In his first match since withdrawing from the Wimbledon semifinals because of an abdominal injury, Rafael Nadal lost to Borna Coric 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 in round two of the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday night.
For Nadal, though, there is little cause for concern with the U.S. Open on the immediate horizon. One, the 35-year-old has almost always fared poorly–by his standards–in Cincinnati (aside from winning the title in 2013). Two, he is optimistic that he is improving from a physical standpoint.
“Well, obviously I didn’t play my best match,” Nadal admitted. “(That is) something that can happen. Historically this tournament has been difficult for me. So coming back from a tough period of time, (it’s) something that is easy to accept and easy to say congrats to Borna that he played better. That’s it. Just well done to him.
“It’s true that this tournament hasn’t been the easiest for me during all my tennis career, even if I was able to win one year. But (that) was the year that I was achieving almost everything…. I don’t know, for some weird reason this tournament, I never had the best feelings.”
The story is different in New York, where the Spaniard is a four-time champion. Nadal thinks he will be ready to go for No. 5.
“In terms of New York, it’s a Grand Slam; it’s a different kind of tournament…. I know the way that I have to do to gain a different condition. I’m going to have already two weeks and a half on the tour practicing with the guys, something that I was not able to [have] before [this tournament]. I was only able to play two sets before this match in the last 40 days.
“I need to move forward and just start to think about the energy that the crowd gives me in New York. I know it’s a very special place for me. I enjoy it; unforgettable moments there.
“Of course it’s better to win, but at the same time (there) remains one week and a half for me (before) New York…. I have to move forward mentally, no? In terms of practice, I need to start to be in Grand Slam mode–practicing the way that I need to practice to be competitive. I hope I will be able to make that happen.”
Nadal’s loss means Daniil Medvedev is guaranteed to maintain the No. 1 ranking at least through the U.S. Open–and therefore is sure to be seeded first at the year’s final Grand Slam.
more rest isn’t the worst thing
Yes! I just said this. If he had won some matches but aggravated the tear that would have been far worse. Could easily have meant he had no chance at the USO.
If he rests and heals he still has an excellent chance to win in New York.
Honestly wonder if he should have played at all.
I am not going to fault Rafa for trying to play at Cincy. I am sure he would have preferred to come back at Montreal. It’s like when he came back from the rib injury for the clay court season. He had to skip both Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Two of his best tournaments. He started at Madrid, his least successful tournament.
Rafa was cautious in withdrawing from Montreal after feeling he was not ready. So good for him. He wanted to try to get some match play and maybe test his abdominal to see how it went. But Cincy has never been a good tournament for him. He did not look good in the match.
His words are encouraging to read. For now I am going to just hope that he can get himself ready for the USO. That’s all I can do as his fan.
I’d already guessed that he would play at Cincy when he had to skip Montreal; he needed some warm up matches before the slam.
All those talks about how he would become no.1 by the end of Cincy, I didn’t care about that, because when I looked at the draw at Cincy, I knew that it’s a tough ask of him to beat the likes of FAA/Alcaraz and Tsitsipas (Meddy had to lose early for Rafa to become no.1) to win the title!
True enough, he couldn’t even cross the first hurdle. He wasn’t playing at a high level that’s for sure. He has to protect himself from aggravating the muscle tear issue; I hope he can prevent the problem and plays well at the US Open.
I really think that his physio and his trainer should do something to help to prevent this issue in future. It seems that when he’s back from injury break, he would have this muscle tear issue when he starts playing again. It’s really very discouraging and disappointing that he has to suffer one injury after another, hindering his progress in tournaments that he should have chances of winning should he be fit and healthy. And, I really don’t like injury talks, esp after he loses. Fans understand but none fans take that as excuses.
Rafa, please stay fit and healthy and takes good care of yourself! Vamos!
A large portion of all matches could be said to be determined by injury,tiredness or similar.Its disappointing but happend a lot. And even more disappointing for the fan of the winning player not to be able to enjoy the victory. Eg Djokos RG win last year.
Bring back the good old days when people won o talent alone and physicality never was an issue.
I wish that they could do something to help him avoid this kind of abdominal injury. These injuries take such a toll on him. He was riding a winning streak and had the best start in his career after winning the AO. Then he gets this freak rib injury at IW. That throws his preparation into disarray for the clay court season. He had to delay his start until Madrid. Then the foot acted up in Rome. We found out later that he he to have his foot numbed to play. So then he tried this ablation procedure on the foot to play at Wimbledon.
He shows up at Wimbledon and we see the tape on his abdomen. That injury cost him a chance at winning Wimbledon. Now it is jeopardizing his chances at the USO. The way he looked in his match with Coric showed that he is not there yet.
It is so difficult to see him losing out on chances to win in slams. I don’t know what to expect at the USO. People keep saying he can win without any match play. I hood he can get the preparation he needs in the days left before the start of the USO.
Andy Roddick said before cincy started he believed Rafa could win the USO even if he didn’t get any warm up matches this week.
It will be tough but Rafa can do it.
I don’t know that Andy Roddick is the one to consult. Rafa knows himself better than anyone. I was very encouraged by his presser after the loss in Cincy. He said the match showed that he was not ready. He said that he has to get into grand slam mode. He said he will practice with the guys leading up to the USO.
I do trust that Rafa knows what he has to do. He got some answers from this one match. He did say that he wants to do more tests on the abdominal. He said it is a dangerous injury and that’s why he made the right decision to not play in Montreal. He says that there is scar tissue that can cause some discomfort, but it could also be that it has not healed. So he wants tests to be sure. He has taken his recovery very seriously.
We know how much he wants to play at the USO. I have faith in Rafa. He will do his best to be ready. But I also think he is going to need some help with the draw. He has not gotten a decent draw yet at a slam this year. He could sure use it now.
So Rafa is playing then?!!!! All this talk of injury made me change my mind about going to USO, sigh!!!! And I can’t even say there is always next year!!! Anyway, if he does play, I hope that he gets at least a decent draw!
Now watching medvedev and Tsistipas……boy there’s really no love list between those two 🤣🤣🤣🤣. They showed Meddy giving Tsistipas a tongue lashing for coaching violation in their last match!! Crazy stuff, lol!!
Meddy, Nick, and Tsitsi – what a love triangle.
Wow! Coric v Tsit. Who saw that coming? I know Coric has been injured but still wow!
Tsit was racist towards Med., so no, no love lost.
Yeah more and more I don’t like Tsitsi.
That comment was a few years ago,has taken on a new meaning
I don’t like Tsitsi now. Pretty clear he’s not popular with the other players to put it mildly.
He seems like a brat. Hitting the ball at Jack Draper of all people! showed what he has become..
I hope Coric wins today. Although that’s partly because I want him to be seeded at the USO. He will be #28 if he wins today which would be a fantastic achievement coming back from injury.
No one will want to play him at the USO.
Too many entitled brats out there these days. Jim Courier was talking about Coric’s much improved first serve. It’s very fast, averaging 126 mph, I think he said.
More and more I miss the “old gang”, not only the Big Four but guys like Ferrer and Berdych. They were gentlemen and sportsmen. I’d love to see Coric win today. Tsitsi has become an entitled jerk!
Well bullshit russian was bad enough at the time it was made.The context now would be worse
Yeah the old school players were made better.
Imagine Coric has won the whole tourney…..wow, given that if Rafa was not injured Coric would not have even won a set, far less the match and far far less the whole tournament!!!! Yes, I said it!!!! There was no way in hell that guy would beat Rafa if Rafa was fit!!! Sigh……….no Rafa no tennis!!!!
Ppl complain about the big 3”s dominance but I am not sure I would enjoy watching tennis not knowing who is going to win! I mean out of all those top ten players in the draw Coric of all ppl won the tourney?!! Sigh!! That would NEVER have occurred if the big three were in the draw…..at least ONE would make the final or win!! Coric?!!! Don’t think I’ll be watching tennis much longer at this rate!!! Meddy and the lot need to be more consistent!!! What ever even happen to Carlos?! 🙄
Mona,
Thank God that someone said what I have been thinking! We know If Rafa was ready then he would have won the match.
I found myself thinking while watching the final with Coric and Tsitsipas , if this is what tennis is going to be when the last of the big three are gone, then spare me! Tsitsipas served to just stop competing in the second set. Like he couldn’t be bothered.
What has Coric done this year? A record of 5-8? And yet he is able to suddenly beat all these guys? No. 15 RBA, no. 9 Felix, no. 11 Norrie and no. 7 but seeded No. 4 here, Tsitsipas!
That final was dreadful. Tsitsipas dud nit even try to return a shot from Coric in the second set. The tennis channel commies noticed and were shocked. Since when do you stop trying to win?
I am not going to watch tennis if this is what we get. Tsitsipas was an embarrassment in that final today.
Tsitsipas and Zverev had been embarrassing in Masters finals this year. It seems to me that Tsitsipas is not that physically fit, that after long match(es), he would play badly in the next match. He had a long match vs Meddy (and some other player(s)in the earlier round(s) if I’m not wrong), and so he appeared tired physically in the final, hardly ran for the ball.
I think he has reached a bottleneck, needs someone to bring his game to the next level. Not only Tsitsipas, even Meddy and Rublev are experiencing the same problem in their game; or have they reached their limit even when they’re only in their mid twenties?