Rafael Nadal's name appears on the entry list for the 2024 US Open, but he confirmed that he has not yet made a decision about playing at Flushing Meadows.
As weird as it might sound, Nadal's 2024 season has been mostly a big sequence of 'maybes'. The Spaniard returned to the sport earlier this year in Australia and, despite playing excellent tennis upon his return, maintained an aura of uncertainty regarding his future plans.
He was adamant that his whole approach was based on a day-by-day basis, which means that certain future plans are not set in stone. Quite a few people were puzzled by that approach because when he won the second match in Brisbane, it seemed that he could even be a contender for the Australian Open.
The hype train barely left the station when Nadal injured himself in the next match and revealed that he wouldn't play at the Australian Open after all. That's when most of his fans understood the cautiousness in his statements.
He wasn't sure how his body would react, which is why he wouldn't commit to anything for sure. That's been his approach for the rest of the year as well, and for good reason, as the Netflix Slam saga showed.
He returned and played that exhibition but then withdrew from Indian Wells after yet another setback. His proper return finally happened on clay, and while he looked far from his best, he at least played.
He's in action in Bastad this week and through to the semi-final, so clearly, things are going well. However, the cautious approach is still there. In the meantime, the US Open entry lists have been published, and Nadal is part of the men's entry list.
The media in Bastad immediately asked him if he would be playing in New York, and he couldn't confirm it, once again. He simply confirmed that he'll make that decision after the Olympic Games and not sooner.
"I needed to book (enter) to have the chance to decide after that, that’s as simple as that. Nothing changed for me. I’m going to decide what’s going on after Olympics."
Interestingly, he confirmed that he'll play at the Laver Cup in Berlin, which will be played in the weeks after the US Open, running from September 20th to 22nd.
"By the way, I will be playing in the Laver Cup, but I am, to be clear and to not create false expectations, I am not sure at all to be in New York or not. No decision today and the decision will not happen before the end of Olympics."
The 38-year-old explained that was on the entry list for the US Open only because he had to be due to the deadlines. This still leaves him a chance to drop out of the event if he chooses.
He also didn't sign up for the Cincinnati Open or the Canadian Open, meaning that even if he chose to compete in the season's last major, he would enter it without much preparation.
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