Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Toronto Masters on Tuesday after aggravating a left foot injury that's been troubling him since his French Open semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic in June. On Wednesday, the 35-year-old southpaw also pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters, raising further concerns about his participation in the US Open.
"I really wanted to play here a lot, but now is the moment to make a decision," Nadal said. "This is unfortunately the decision that I have taken and probably in the next couple of days we are going to know more."
The same injury forced him to miss both Wimbledon and the Olympics in Tokyo.
He made his much anticipated return to action only last week in Washington, where he looked down and out in the opening match before mounting a spectacular comeback to defeat the American Jack Sock in a third set tiebreaker.
However, his chances in the US capital came to an abrupt end in the next round as he was beaten by South African Lloyd Harris in a pulsating three-set encounter.
The legendary lefty was attempting to regain momentum in Toronto but his foot injury came back to haunt him, ending his campaign at the prestigious Masters event in Canada's most populous city.
Nadal's exit from the Toronto Masters and his subsequent pull out from the Cincinnati Masters has led many fans to ask if he'll be able to mount a serious challenge at the US Open in a month – a tournament he's won four times.
India's former tennis player, Vishal Uppal, agrees with the fans, saying that a lack of match practice could hurt Nadal's chances of capturing another trophy at Flushing Meadows.
"It is a huge setback for Nadal. The nature and extent of his injury will tell us in the coming days if he will be able to play in the US Open," he told Sputnik on Wednesday.
"Injuries have started to take a toll on Nadal's body as the older you get, your body tends to break down more and faster. Also recovery time is not as quick from injuries," Uppal added.