© AFP / Magazine image
Nadal won the men’s singles singles at the US Open last year. LEHTIKUvA / AFP
AFP
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal will not take part in the tennis grand slam tournament at the US Open. The tournament is scheduled to begin in New York on August 31st.
Nadal shared his decision on his Twitter account.
– After much deliberation, I have decided that I did not play in this year’s US Open. The situation is very difficult worldwide. Covid-19 cases are on the rise and it seems that it (the corona situation) is still out of our control, Nadal wrote.
– I never wanted to make such a decision, but I decided to follow my heart, and this time I decided not to travel.
In addition to the coronavirus, Nadalia was also concerned about the condensed tennis calendar, although there are no guarantees that tournaments will be held in the fall. The US Open is scheduled to end on September 13th. The French Open, known as the Kingdom of Nadal, was postponed from early summer to September-October.
– We know that the reduced tennis calendar is raw after a four-month break, Nadal said.
Last year, 34-year-old Nadal won the U.S. Open men’s singles. Winning 19 singles singles grand slam championships in his career, Nadal is one championship away from Roger Federer’s 20 championship record.
The tennis calendar, punished by the coronavirus, suffered further setbacks on Tuesday as Madrid’s prestigious ATP and WTA mass tournaments were canceled in September.