Rafael Nadal and His Journey in US Open; Looking Back at His Hard-Court Dominance

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Rafael Nadal, popularly known as the King of Clay, is known for winning the French Open title 14 times, the most by any player in the history of the clay-court major. But the fact that he has won eight more Grand Slams titles, four of which came at the US Open, should not be ignored.

Nadal struggled for a wee bit in the hard-court major after advancing to the quarterfinals and semi-finals. But it was in 2010 when he won his maiden US Open title. He defeated current World No.1 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

Then in 2013, Nadal won the title for the second time. Yet another time, he got the better of Djokovic, beating the Serb 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. In 2017, Nadal won the US Open for the third time, beating South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

But it was in the final of the 2019 edition where Nadal had to fight out of his skins. Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling five-setter, winning the match 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4.

Nadal last played in the US Open back in 2022 where he lost to USA's Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-6, 4-6, 3-6 in the pre-quarters.

Rafael Nadal to not take part in US Open 2024

Last year, Nadal did not participate in the US Open, having also pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon due to injury concerns. The Spaniard returned to Grand Slams earlier this year at Roland Garros after which he pulled out of Wimbledon. He took part in the Nordea Open to prepare for the Paris Olympics.

Before taking part in the Olympics, Nadal said that he would take a call on his participation in the US Open after the quadrennial event. He was named in the entry list, but Nadal opted out of the major. After failing to win any medal in the Olympics, it remains to be seen when he returns to the court.