Nadal Pulls Out of Cincinnati to Take Care of Body

World No 1 Rafael Nadal has announced that he is pulling out of this week’s Cincinnati Masters. The 32-year-old Spaniard had won the title back in 2013 and he feels that he needs a rest. Especially after Sunday’s victory at the Rogers Cup in Toronto over teen sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I am very sorry to announce that I won’t be playing in Cincinnati this year,” Nadal wrote on Twitter.

“No other reason than personally taking care of my body and trying to keep as healthy as I feel now.

“I am very thankful to my friend Andre Silva, tournament director of the Cincinnati tournament, who after speaking to him on the phone understood what I said and understands the situation.

“I am sure the tournament will be a success and I wish him and his team all the best. I am also sad for those amazing fans in Cincy and around who always gave me great support.

“I am sure I’ll see them next year and I am sorry I won’t be with them this year. Thanks for all the support as always.”

The 17-time grand slam winner, collected his 80th career title yesterday when he beat the Greek youngster 6-2 7-6 (7/4).

This is not the first time that a top player has decided to give a certain tournament a miss. In fact, many players use this as a tactic to try and save themselves for major events like Grand Slams. So, it is completely understandable for a player of Nadal’s calibre to skip a few tournaments, especially with the US Open looming.

This win will be a big boost for the Spaniard by the time the US Open, the final grand slam of the year, rolls around on August 27th.

However, even Rafa knows that his body has limits, hence the decision to pull out of Cincinnati.