Rafael Nadal pulled out of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, making it the third he's missed this season and in tennis at age 38.
Nadal wrote on social media that he will miss 鈥渢hose electric and special night sessions鈥� in Arthur Ashe Stadium, 鈥渂ut I don鈥檛 think I would be able to give my 100% this time.鈥�
He added that his next event will be the Laver Cup in Berlin on Sept. 20-22. at that event in 2022, when Federer played for the final time before his retirement.
was not much of a surprise. Yes, he was on the official entry list released last month for New York, but that was more of a formality than anything and did not preclude the 22-time major champion from withdrawing at any point before competition begins Aug. 26.
Plus, Nadal telegraphed this news a week ago after his participation in the 2024 Olympics for Spain ended with a quarterfinal loss in . That followed a , who left Paris with .
When he was asked then about playing at the U.S. Open, Nadal paused for a while before responding.
鈥淟ooks like not. But I鈥檓 going to let you know soon,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or me, now, I can鈥檛 give you a clear answer. I need some time, but for me, (it) looks difficult.鈥�
Nadal has not announced anything about a possible retirement, but given his age and a recent history of injuries 鈥� including hip surgery in 2023 and abdominal muscle issues in 2024 that limited his number of matches the past two seasons 鈥� it seems safe to say he probably does not have much left in him.
He is a four-time champion at the U.S. Open, taking the titles in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019. But the absence this time means he will have sat out the hard-court tournament in four of the past five years; the exception was 2022, when he lost in the fourth round to Frances Tiafoe.
In 2023, Nadal hurt his hip during the Australian Open in January and was forced to skip the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. This year, he hurt a muscle near the hip during a tuneup event before the Australian Open, so he sat that out. He then played at the French Open in May, but . Nadal opted to skip Wimbledon last month so he wouldn't have to manage the transition from the clay at Roland Garros to the grass at the All England Club, before returning to clay for the Olympics.
Nadal owns a record 14 titles from the French Open, and two apiece from Wimbledon and the Australian Open. His most recent two Slam trophies arrived in 2022, and at Paris in June, pushing him ahead of Federer for the then-record of 20 Grand Slam titles for a man.
Federer announced his retirement when he was 41 at the end of the 2022 season. Both he and Nadal have since been surpassed in the Grand Slam count by Djokovic, who reached 24 by winning last year's U.S. Open.
The draw to set the brackets for the 2024 U.S. Open is scheduled for Aug. 22.
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AP tennis:
Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
