Cincinnati (US) (US) 11 : Rafael Nadal confirmed on Wednesday that he will be traveling to Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open, in which he might be able to make a comeback to World No.1.If the Spaniard wins the ATP Masters 1000 title and the current World No.1 Daniil Medvedev does not make it to the quarterfinals Nadal could rise to the very highest position of the ATP Rankings.
The 36-year-old is scheduled to make his first appearance in a competitive match after being forced out of Wimbledon just prior to the semi-finals with an abdominal strain he suffered in the London fortnight.The difficult decision to not take on Nick Kyrgios in that semi-final has allowed him to enjoy a quick recovery from the tear in his muscle.
Nadal has confirmed his return in an Instagram post, in which he stated: “Very happy to play again in Cincy.Tomorrow I fly to Cincy.”
The 2013 Cincinnati champion, Nadal is 22-11 at the ATP Masters 1000 event and has reached the quarter-finals or better on seven occasions.He has not played in the showcase on hard courts since 2017 after which he fell to Kyrgios in the quarterfinals.
Nadal will be aiming for the fifth time to win the title of 2022’s season, as he hopes to improve his record of 35-3 on the year.Nadal and fellow countryman Carlos Alcaraz share the season lead in ATP Tour singles titles with four titles each.
The World No.3 has won 36 Masters 1000 titles, second only to Novak’s 38 titles.
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