Former world number one Rafael Nadal returned to competitive tennis at the Rio Olympics earlier this month, and the Spaniard represented Spain in the singles and men's doubles events, winning his second Olympic gold medal in the doubles with good friend Marc Lopez. Nadal finished in the fourth position after losing in the bronze medal match to Kei Nishikori in three sets.
Nadal opted to compete at the fourth and final Masters 1,000 hard court event to be played on North American hard courts this year, at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, and the 2013 champion acknowledges that he is not physically in his best condition after a packed scheduled in Rio.
"I've not had my best chances. Last week, I played 23 hours and my body is a little bit tired, but I will try to give my best, to practice well and to play at the best level I can."
The current world number five went on to speak about his memorable experience at the Olympics, "It has been a unique and unforgettable experience. I played great in singles and doubles. The gold medal has been amazing, winning it is special but do it with your best friend is even more special. I had similar feelings to the singles victories I got in the past)."
Wrist injury update
The three-time Grand Slam winner on hard courts went on to speak about the condition of his wrist before competing in his second Olympic Games, "In Mallorca for five or six weeks, I could not do anything, then I started to move it a little bit. It was not an easy injury, I tried to accelerate the process a little bit, it still bothers me a little bit, but at the Olympics the wrist resisted and so that's a great news for me. Today most tournaments are played on fast courts, hard courts, you push your body to the limit and so you've to accept the injuries."
At the conclusion of the interview, Nadal was asked about his chances of claiming another Grand Slam singles title and he said, "This year I knew I had my chances in the Slams, I got injured, I was unlucky, but I feel competitive and with the right motivation, I have better feelings than last year. Now the most important thing is to enjoy and be happy, and I am confident I can win a Grand Slam title in the future."
This year will mark the first time since 2005 that Nadal has not reached multiple Grand Slam quarterfinals in a calendar year, and should he fail to reach the quarterfinals at the US Open later this month, it will be the first time since 2004 that he has failed to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal.