Speaking at his pre-tournament press conference at the Masters 1000 event, however, the Mallorcan revealed that it wasn’t something he was nervous about. While he admitted that he was happy to be in this position and that he would be even happier if it came to fruition, the 22-time Grand Slam champion is simply focused on giving his all in Cincinnati for now.
More importantly, the World No. 3 remarked that he wanted to stay healthy and keep himself fit for the rest of the season, adding that he will be listening to his body every step of the way to avoid another injury scare.
It is a prudent move by the 36-year-old, as he was forced to withdraw from his Wimbledon semifinal against Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal injury. While he was scheduled to play in the Canadian Open last week, the lingering effects of the injury forced him to pull out of the ATP1000 event at the last minute as well.
Also Checkout: Cincinnati Open 2021 Results
“You need to know that when you come back after a while that things aren’t going to be perfect” - Rafael Nadal
During the press conference, Rafael Nadal also touched on how he expected to fare on his comeback, remarking that it was not going to be perfect by any means. Thankfully, the former World No. 1 accepted that he had to be humble enough till he gets back into rhythm, adding that his attitude will eventually change once he finds his competitive spirit once more.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion was of the opinion that making a comeback at a Masters 1000 tournament was even harder than at a Grand Slam, since the nature of the draw pits players against demanding opponents right from the beginning.
Nadal is hoping he can keep up with the demands in Cincinnati, where he is scheduled to take on either Borna Coric or a qualifier/lucky loser in the second round after receiving a bye in the first round.
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