Rafael Nadal has only committed to one event in the future: the Laver Cup.
However, it appears that he will miss the US Open. He may not want to play so many clay-court tournaments and then devote the necessary time to preparing for the hard-court Grand Slam in late August.
Many tennis fans may be wondering if Nadal plans to retire in the same way that Roger Federer did, with the Laver Cup serving as his final professional event. Maybe the Spaniard even invited Federer back to play doubles with him at the occasion, as Federer did with Nadal in 2022. The Swiss has stated that he will play if requested.
In the second round, Nadal lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets, bringing his Olympic singles run to an end. The Spaniard advanced to the quarterfinals in doubles with partner Carlos Alcaraz before losing in straight sets.
Rafael Nadal discusses Olympic loss and Danielle Collins discusses spat with Iga Swiatek
Following the match, Nadal had a press conference where he discussed a variety of themes. In terms of playing in the US Open, Nadal appeared unsure but has yet to decide whether he will or will not participate. He answered, “It looks like not, but I’ll let you know soon. I can’t give you a clear response right now; I need some time. But that looks challenging to me.”
In terms of future plans, Nadal stated, “(W)hen I decide what my next step is, whether with a racket in my hand or not, I will let you know.” If I don’t have the drive, strength, or inspiration to continue, I’ll put down my racket.”
In other unusual news, summer appears to be the season for squabbles. Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev each had one, as did Emma Navarro and Zheng Qinwen. As it turned out, so did Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek before and after Swiatek’s quarterfinal win over the American.
During the match, Collins instructed Swiatek to “play at the server’s pace” when Swiatek held up her racket, implying she was not prepared to receive the serve. The Pole has a tendency of doing this. Normally, players react to the server’s tempo, so Swiatek appeared to be breaking tennis protocol. (Swiatek lost in the semifinals to Zheng Qinwen.)
After the match ended early due to Collins’ injury in the third set, Collins spoke with Swiatek and advised the Pole to cease being “insincere.”
In her post-match press conference, Collins stated, “I told Iga she didn’t have to be dishonest about my injuries. There’s a lot that happens on camera, and there are a lot of charismatic people that come out and act one way on TV and another in the locker room. And I haven’t had the best experience, and I don’t think anyone should be insincere.”