ATP tour: Rafael Nadal returns in Washington
Rafael Nadal will return to the ATP Tour operations at the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Washington. The Spaniard skipped Wimbledon and will also be absent from the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jul 08, 2021, 06:41 pm
Rafael Nadal is apparently pursuing a precise plan: The Spaniard, most recently in action at the French Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in a terrific match in the semifinals, has set himself the goal of winning the US Open. In addition, Nadal will start his North American hard court tour earlier than in previous years, namely in Washington DC at the ATP Tour 500 tournament there. The event starts on July 31 with the qualification, one day after the gold medal in the men's singles is awarded at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Nadal already got this in Beijing in 2008; the 20-time major champion saved himself the trip to Japan this year.
After Washington, the 1000 tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati are on the tournament calendar. Whether Nadal will take the trip to Canada, however, must at least be doubted. The entry requirements there are more restrictive than in the USA. Last year, Rafael Nadal had completely renounced the trip to North America after winning the final of the US Open in a five-sentence thriller against Daniil Medvedev in New York City in 2019.
Last fall, Dominic Thiem won the title at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in camera. A title defense of the Austrian who is currently injured in the wrist seems questionable at the moment.