ATP Masters Cincinnati: Rafael Nadal doesn't want to rush into the hunt for number one
Rafael Nadal returns to the tour at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati. With a tournament victory in Ohio, the Spaniard could take over the world number one. However, this does not cause him sleepless nights.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Aug 15, 2022, 06:48 pm
The starting position is clear: If Rafael Nadal wins the title at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati and Daniil Medvedev does not make it past the round of 16, the 22-time Grand Slam winner from Spain would be the official number one again next Monday be in the world tennis rankings.
Naturally, this topic is also currently affecting the journalists present in Cincinnati, which is why Nadal commented on a possible return to the top of the world rankings before the tournament began: "It means a lot to me that I have this opportunity. It's something I didn't expect that it could happen again."
For Nadal, health is a priority
Nadal has been at the top of the rankings for 209 weeks in his career so far, five times he finished the year as the world's best tennis player. That's probably why the Spaniard is following his own path these days: "The most important thing is that I stay healthy and play the tournaments I want to play. I won't play more than I think is good for my body."
Especially since Nadal was recently suffering from an abdominal muscle injury and was unable to serve in Montreal last week because of this. "The stomach is a dangerous place because it takes a lot of stress with every serve. I'm trying to do things right and be a bit more careful. I hope I can be ready for the action here," said the 36- year olds.
Nadal opens against Coric or Musetti
After a bye at the beginning, Nadal will meet Borna Coric or Lorenzo Musetti in his comeback on Wednesday in the night session. He doesn't expect miracles from his first appearance: "When you come back after a while, you have to know that things won't be perfect. You can't expect to play at a great level from the start." That could only happen after a few wins, according to the third in the world rankings.
In general, after the break of more than a month - Nadal played his last game on July 6 in the Wimbledon quarter-finals against Taylor Fritz - he is looking forward to being back on the match court: "I want to play tennis on the tour again. I have Have a good season and enjoy it. I want to enjoy this week in Cincinnati."