Nadal withdraws from US Open, to miss 3rd Grand Slam of the season

Rafael Nadal pulled out of the US Open on Wednesday, making it the third Grand Slam tournament he's missed this season and raising more questions about his future in tennis at age 38.

Nadal's announcement on social media was not much of a surprise. Yes, he was on the official entry list released last month for New York, but that was more of a formality than anything and did not preclude the 22-time major champion from withdrawing at any point before competition begins Aug. 26.

Plus, Nadal telegraphed this news a week ago after his participation in the 2024 Olympics for Spain ended with a quarterfinal loss in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz. That followed a second-round loss in singles to rival Novak Djokovic, who left Paris with the men's gold medal.

When he was asked then about playing at the U.S. Open, Nadal paused for a while before responding.

Looks like not. But I'm going to let you know soon, he said. For me, now, I can't give you a clear answer. I need some time, but for me