Legendary Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal set to skip Cincinnati Masters

Spain’s legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal is set to miss the Cincinnati Masters. The 37-year-old is already regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.

According to the latest report, Nadal will not play in the upcoming Cincinnati Masters. The ATP 1000 event will be held on August 26, just before the start of the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year—the US Open. Players from all over the world will showcase their talent and battle to secure the ultimate prize.

Nadal has struggled with fitness concerns in recent years, and because of this, he nearly stayed out of action for nearly 12 months. During his time off the court, the former world number announced that the 2024 season would be his last at the highest level. The Spaniard returned to the court earlier this year but once again suffered an injury during the Brisbane International, which kept him out of action for nearly two months.

The 37-year-old finally returned to the court just before the start of the Barcelona Open but has struggled to produce positive results consistently. To keep himself fit for the rest of the campaign, Nadal decided not to participate in the third Grand Slam of the year. He participated in the French Open but was knocked out from the first round after losing to Germany’s Alexander Zverev in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

It has not been reported that Nadal has decided not to use his protected ranking, which he could have used to play in the Cincinnati Masters. Spain’s legendary tennis star is currently taking part in the Bastad Open, where he is playing both singles and doubles categories, largely to prepare for the upcoming Paris Olympics, where he is part of Spain’s contingent.