Nadal on U.S. Open entry list with protected ranking, but uncertain of plans

The U.S. Open entry list was released earlier this week and Rafael Nadal is on it.

At No. 261 in the world, Nadal obviously isn’t ranked high enough to earn direct entry. However, due to his extended injury layoff over the past couple of seasons he was able to use a protected ranking of No. 9.

Of course, Nadal’s appearance on the list does not guarantee that he will play the season’s fourth and final Grand Slam. It simply leaves open the possibility. The 38-year-old Spaniard says he will decide on his potential participation at Flushing Meadows some time after the Olympics.

“It’s as simple as that,” Nadal commented. “Nothing has changed in my schedule, and I will think about my next moves after the Olympic Games. I will compete at the Laver Cup, but I can not create false expectations about traveling to New York, as I’m not sure.”

If Nadal does play, he will be unseeded. A protected ranking can only be used for entry, not for seeding.

The four-time U.S. Open champion currently finds himself in the Bastad final, set to face Nuno Borges on Sunday afternoon. He will then take his talents to Roland Garros for the Paris Olympics, where he is scheduled for both singles and doubles–the latter with reigning French Open and Wimbledon champ Carlos Alcaraz.