Rafael Nadal plays down injury concerns after surviving first-round scare at Citi Open

ATP Finals: Rafael Nadal practices ahead of the tournament

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Rafael Nadal faced a tough test in Washington overnight, requiring more than three hours to beat American Jack Sock. The Spaniard was playing his first match since a shock semi-final loss at Roland Garros in June, after a foot injury forced him out of Wimbledon and the Olympics. He narrowly avoided defeat as he battled pain, overcoming the world number 192 in three sets 6-2 4-6 7-6(1).

Nadal downplayed his injury as he narrowly survived a difficult test in his first match back on tour.

The world number three got off to a quick start, taking the first set 6-2, but there were signs he was still being troubled by the left foot injury that left him unable to play for 20 days after the French Open.

Forced to battle from a break down in the third and final set, the 20-time Grand Slam champion looked troubled, with his movement hampered on occasion, as he struggled to deal with the American’s deep forehand returns.

In his debut at the Citi Open, Nadal was able to fight back and ultimately won the match in a third set tiebreak.

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Despite appearing hampered by his lingering left foot injury, the Spaniard is still expecting to play his third round match against Lloyd Harris.

“I have been resting enough. Maybe [it] is not about resting, but is the moment to just keep going, is the moment to not practise much because I played a three-hour match, so I need to be ready for tomorrow,” he said.

“[I will] have a short warm-up tomorrow, try to be ready for the match. I’m going to have a tough opponent in front. Let’s see. Tomorrow’s another day, another opportunity to play in front of this amazing crowd. I want to enjoy the experience again.”

Nadal continued: “I think I started more or less well. Then I played a bad game in the second set. As the encounter progressed, I began to feel the pain in my foot and suffer a bit too much

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“Jack played well from the second set, and I could not damage him with my shots or break his aggression and initiative. It was tough, but I played better in the closing stages. That’s the most important thing, and I hope to be ready for tomorrow.

“I have to improve my first serve percentage; that opened the door for Sock today. I knew he would be aggressive but also make mistakes.”

The pair ended the match level with 41 winners each, though Sock’s 33 unforced errors were too much compared to Nadal’s 17.

Although it was a tricky encounter, the former world number one had no concerns about his fitness.

He said: “My fitness is fine, more or less, I only wish my foot to hurt a bit less. You need matches like this to be fitter after a month without competing.

“You need matches like this to be fitter after a month without competing. But that’s part of the process, and I know the process. I went through all this stuff many times on my career. So it’s something I am not worried about.

“So is about winning these kind of matches. That helps you to be better. Then, if I’m able to improve with my foot, I think the rest of the things [are] going to come step by step.”

His opponent is no stranger to injuries either – a former world number eight, Sock managed to return to the world’s top 200 on Monday after working his way back in multiple ATP Challenger Tour events.

Nadal was impressed by the former Paris Masters 1000 champion, saying:  “[It] is true that he went through a couple of important injuries, something that is always difficult.

“And it is true that today, a lot of young guys [are] there. It’s not easy to fight with all of them. They are younger, they are good. They are ready to play as many weeks as they need.

“Well, I think I saw him playing better than what he did the last couple of years, without a doubt. I’m happy for him. I wish him all the very best.”

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