Rafael Nadal faced a shock exit at the Cincinnati Masters when he lost in the first round to Borna Coric. Nadal was making a comeback ever since he withdrew from Wimbledon due to an abdominal tear. However, the Spaniard failed to emulate his usual level of play and saw himself crashing out of a tournament in the first round after a long time.
Borna, again 🙌
The moment @borna_coric wrapped up his third career victory over Rafael Nadal. #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/zGxam8K6Vl
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 18, 2022
During the press conference, Nadal took nothing away from his opponent and acknowledged that he needed to improve his game. Moreover, he said, “It’s difficult to take a lot of positive things, but I need to improve. I need to practice. I need to return better. I need days (on the court), and that’s the truth.”
More than winning matches, Nadal’s priority lies in keeping himself fit and healthy. He said, “You lose, you move forward. I know the way. The main thing for me is to stay healthy. It has been a difficult injury to manage, to be honest.”
Rafael Nadal talks about the struggles due to his abdominal tear
Nadal has many things to think about after his loss as the US Open is right around the corner. He further revealed how it has been through tough times due to the abdominal tear. The uncertainty around his injury has affected his practice and form.
Furthermore, he said, “The last month and a half hasn’t been easy, because having a tear on the abdominal, you don’t know when (you are) 100 percent over the thing, so that affects a little bit in terms of not (being) sure if you are able to try your best in every serve.”
Even after the injury, Nadal is not giving up on the US Open. He said, “I need to move forward and just start to think about the energy that the crowd gives me in New York. I know it’s a very special place for me.” Nadal has vowed to give his all to get himself ready for the final showdown of 2022 in tennis. If he wins the US Open, he will return to the number one spot in the ATP rankings.