11 time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal will be a no show at this year’s US Open as he has been sidelined with a knee injury. This is now the second time that Rafa has had to withdraw due to knee injury, caused by his over aggressive style of play and extensive work out regiment to keep his noticeably muscular tone. There are few knocks one can make about Nadal who will ultimately go down as one of the game’s all time greats, but one has to be concerned about how these knee injuries will continue to haunt him as he ages. We have seen Federer lose some of his step over the year and he’s never had any major injury, so there’s no telling what Rafa’s future holds.
The US Open just got a lot more contentious with one of the best players out and now does Britain’s Andy Murray fresh off winning gold vs Federer in London have what it takes? Or will it be the US Open defending champion and Nadal’s greatest foe Novak Djokovic who retakes his world number one ranking by winning his 2nd trophy in NY. But perhaps we’ll witness pure unadulterated greatness if Federer can hold on to win his 18th major and solidify his legacy as the GOAT of the game. Nadal has openly bashed the ATP for the rigorous schedule they put up and the demand it puts on the body, this is just foreshadowing coming to truth as one of the game’s best is nursing an injury on the fortnight before one of the sport’s biggest events.