Rafael Nadal will make his long-awaited return to the tour this coming Wednesday night, playing his opening match at the ATP 500 hard-court event in Washington, D.C.
The Spaniard admitted he already thinking about the US Open, Grand Slam in New York that will start at the end of this month.
Nadal has withdrawn from both Wimbledon and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. However, he explained that he was sidelined because he would not have been able to compete at a high level before.
“At the moment I feel very good. I had some problems after Roland Garros where I couldn’t play some very important tournaments for me, like Wimbledon and the Olympics, but here I am, excited to participate in Washington for the first time,” Nadal said.
“My body decided for me. If I had a choice, I would never miss Wimbledon or the Olympics. However, I couldn’t compete in those events after the clay court season.” he added.
In his first test since his return, Nadal is focused on training and hopes to be able to perform well in competition.
Nadal’s first opponent will be Jack Sock, who reached the second round after the withdrawal of Yoshito Nishioka when he was up 7-6 (3), 0-4.
“That’s what I need now: playing sets and training with professional level players. I don’t know how long it will take to recover everything, but what I can say is that I’m here to do my best at all times,” he said.
“I really wanted to go back to the United States after not playing here for over a year, especially in front of a crowded grandstand, something we haven’t seen in a long time. It feels great,” Nadal added.
