Rafael Nadal injury update as Spaniard spotted on court ahead of US Open

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Rafael Nadal is back on the practice court after withdrawing from the Montreal Masters with the abdominal injury that forced him out of Wimbledon. The world No 3 is still hoping to make it back in time for the US Open and has shown positive signs in new footage from his latest session at his Rafa Nadal Academy.

Nadal is currently sidelined after picking up a 7mm abdominal tear at Wimbledon, which saw him pull out on the eve of his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios. The Spaniard had hoped to return to his original planned schedule of playing this week’s Masters 1000 in Montreal before the US Open, but announced that he would be pulling out of the Canadian Open last week as he was still feeling the ab issue.

 While he has been unable to compete in Montreal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has been back on the practice courts at his Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor and is showing positive signs as he resumed practising his service motion for the first time since pulling out of the Canadian Open – something that was hindered by the injury. With a small crowd watching on from the stands, footage shows Nadal hitting some lighter serves repeatedly from the baseline.

 The 36-year-old has been rallying since around a week after he withdrew from Wimbledon but has only just returned to serving, later than he expected after explaining the road to recovery when pulling out of the grass-court Grand Slam on the eve of men’s semi-finals day. “In one week I going to be able to play from the baseline,” he said at the time.

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“Not serving for a while, of course. Playing from the baseline [is] not going to be a big deal.” While he had no issues at the baseline, Nadal confirmed that he had started to feel “discomfort” following the first time he re-introduced his service motion into practice. 

 “From the vacation days and my subsequent return to training, everything has gone well these weeks,” he tweeted on Friday, announcing his withdrawal from Montreal. “Four days ago I also started training the service and yesterday, after training, I had a little discomfort that was still there today.

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“We have decided not to travel to Montreal and continue with the training sessions without forcing ourselves.” Nadal certainly doesn’t seem to be forcing himself in the new footage from his latest practice session, but with three weeks until the US Open begins there are positive signs as he continues to build up his service motion.

Nadal will be hoping to keep up his unbeaten streak at Grand Slams this year in New York, having won the Australian Open and French Open at the start of the season. He then reached the semi-final at Wimbledon but withdrew before the match, meaning he is yet to lost at Major level in 2022.

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