Rafael Nadal is back to his usual self. Like he does always, the Spanish legend made a return to the court with a bang and has reached the semifinal of his comeback tournament. Earlier today, he defeated Mariano Navone in the quarterfinal of the Swedish Open. The match lasted for just less than four hours, as Nadal held his nerves to prevail in a tight encounter. Coming back from an injury, it isn’t easy for anyone to play such a marathon battle, let alone Rafael Nadal. After the match, the Spaniard provided a rather upsetting update for his fans.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion will face Duje Ajdukovic in the last four tomorrow. However, he isn’t sure of continuing in the tournament, with the marathon quarterfinal match taking a toll on his body. During the post-match interview, Nadal provided a gloomy update, saying, “I was able to hold physically til the end and that’s so important for me. Let’s see how I am tomorrow, but today I am alive and I am in the semifinals – that’s super important.” 

Along with his singles commitments, Nadal is also playing in doubles with Casper Ruud. The duo is into the semifinals of the tournament and is scheduled to play their last 4 encounter tomorrow. Given the hectic match today, Nadal’s participation there looks doubtful, as he hinted about his stretched physical state.

The Spaniard’s next goal in sight is the Paris Olympic Games. It will be Nadal’s last appearance at the mega-event and he wants to make it big in Paris. The former World Number 1 wants to take it one step at a time and is unsure about playing the US Open later this year.

Rafael Nadal’s participation at the US Open in doubt

After bowing out of the French Open in the opening round, Nadal missed the recently concluded Wimbledon Championships. The Spaniard earlier hinted that the 2024 season will in all probability be his final year on the tour. While he is looking to participate in the maximum number of tournaments, his physical state is restricting him from doing so. As a result, Nadal remained dicey about playing at the US Open.

During an interview at the Swedish Open, he revealed, “I needed to book to have the chance to decide after that, that’s as simple as that. Nothing changed for me.  I’m going to decide what’s going on after Olympics.  By the way, I will be playing in the Laver Cup but I am, to be clear, and to not create false expectations, I am not sure at all to be in New York or not. No decision today and the decision will not happen before the end of Olympics.”

Meanwhile, his fans will hope that the Spaniard recovers quickly from his 4-hour marathon battle today, as he looks to win his first tournament in a while. With his career nearing its end, Nadal would look to make the most of this opportunity to add another trophy to his glittering cabinet.