Picture Credit: Twitter
Rafael Nadal had to pull out of the Wimbledon semifinal against Nick Krygios after he suffered an abdomen tear during his five-set win over Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinal of the tournament. This also cast doubts on Nadal’s availability for the Canada Open due to begin on August 5. However, it seems the Spaniard is recovering well and will feature in the ATP 1000 tournament when it begins.
A video of Rafael Nadal training at his own academy in his home of Manacor has been shared online, indicating the 36-year-old is recovering pretty well. In the video, Rafael Nadal is seen rallying from the baseline and chasing down balls. Notably, when the 22-time Grand Slam champion had pulled out of Wimbledon, he had hoped to be back in training without serving in around “one week” from his withdrawal, and here he is just after 11 days.
Watch Nadal training here:
Nadal to play Canadian Open
With the 36-year-old recovering and training well, it seems fans will get to see the Spaniard in action at the upcoming Canadian Open. Eugene Lapierre also said the Spaniard had already booked his hotel for the event, as well as requested some balls used at the tournament to practise with, sharing his intention to be back in action when the Masters 1000 starts on August 7.
“Rafael Nadal really wants to come to Montreal and his hotel rooms are already booked. He has asked us to send him a case of the balls we’re using for the tournament to prepare. He should return to training on Monday,” he said.
Rafael Nadal’s appearance at the ATP 1000 tournament will help him prepare better for the last major of the year, the US Open. Having won the two grand slams this year, the Australian Open and the French Open, Nadal was targeting a calendar Grand Slam but a 7mm abdomen tear meant he won’t achieve his goal. Nonetheless, the Spaniard is determined to play in the US Open and win a record-extending 23rd Major title.