Nadal Returns to Barcelona in Wake of Devastating Attack

For the past week, the tragic attack in Barcelona has gripped the world. A number of personalities have weighed in their views on the attack. World Number 1 Rafael Nadal was utterly ‘destroyed’ when he heard about the attack. The Spaniard, who lost to Australia’s Nick Kyrgios on Friday at Cincinnati, sported a black ribbon on his attire in an earlier match as tribute to the victims.

“What happened is terrible. Everybody is destroyed in Spain, including, of course, me,” Nadal said on Friday. “Yeah, it’s a tragedy, the feeling that you are not safe in nowhere. That’s terrible. So just very sad. I’m very, very sorry about what happened to all the victims, all the families, friends. Yeah, all my support. It’s the moment to be together like a country and all the being together, we go for these kind of things.”

Other Spanish athletes joined Nadal in paying tribute to the victims, including Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Garbine Muguruza.

The US Open will soon be upon us and Nadal spoke of his preparations “I think I am practicing well. I’m going to give my best during this week of practice,” Nadal said. “I hope to be ready for New York. I believe that I did things well enough during the whole year to be ready to compete at the highest level of New York, so I’m looking forward to it.”

He also said that he was delighted to take over the number 1 spot after all that had befallen him in the past couple of years. “Being number one after all the things I’ve been going through the last couple of years is something unbelievable, so for me it’s an amazing achievement to be back to that position. I’m very happy for that and in the last most important event of the season, I need to show why I am in that position now.