Rafael Nadal returns to US Open after 3 years

The last time Rafael Nadal played in New York was in 2019 when he beat Daniil Medvedev in the final in a dramatic 5-setter.

Since then Nadal hasn't played at the grand slam until this year and he's already practising. A man who is obsessively dedicated to his craft, Nadal did not wait at all opting to start practising the moment he arrived in New York. The Spaniard made his return last week in Cincinnati but got beaten by Borna Coric in a close three-setter.

With Coric winning the event and not dropping a set after that match, Nadal should be feeling a bit better about the loss. He was very self-critical of his play despite it being expected. He posted a story on his Instagram showing himself on the iconic Arthur Ashe court captioning it with:

"First practice on Ashe… focus!"

Before that, he'll take part in a chairty event hosted by the grand slam for Ukraine.