Spanish tennis will again have a significant representation starting next Monday, August 29, when the US Open begins, thanks to the twelve players who will start in the main draw. Among all of them, the figure of the four-time champion of the last Grand Slam of the season, Rafael Nadal, stands out.
He will start second-seeded in New York, leading the bottom of the field, and his debut is set at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday against Australian Rinky Hijikata. With the tag of third favorite, Carlos Alcaraz will debut, also on Tuesday at the Arthur Ashe stadium against the Argentine Sebastián Báez.
It will be the second time they have met on the court, after last year at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, where the Murcian won. The first match will not be easy for No. 12 seed Pablo Carreno Busta. On the other side of the net, Dominic Thiem awaits him, a player who already knows what it’s like to lift the crown of champion at the US Open.
That was precisely the last title that he has won in his career. The ATP Head2Head is clearly in favor of the Austrian 7-0. For his part, Roberto Bautista Agut closes the chapter of heads of series. In this case, the No. 16. The man from Castellón, who has two ATP Tour trophies in his showcase this season (Doha and Kitzbühel), will open his participation against the local J.
J. Wolf, a rival against whom he dominates the head-to-head by 1-0. They met at the ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells this year. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who advanced to the second week of the US Open in 2020, will face the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka in his first date in this edition, while Pablo Andújar, who shares his best result in New York in the round of 16, will will do against the Argentine Tomás Martín Etcheverry.
Alex Corretja on Rafa Nadal
Former ATP Tour professional Alex Corretja believes that Rafael Nadal can find championship-winning form at Flushing Meadows next week. “I don’t think we should be concerned, of course, it would have been great for him to play maybe three matches before the US Open.
And that would have been enough. But he could get that at the beginning of the tournament with some of the matches that he will play. Last week he lost to Coric but it was okay; when you finish the tournament and you see that the guy that you lost to, wins the tournament.
I think probably one of the most difficult seasons of his career, from where he came from and for the things he had in the beginning and in the middle of the season as well. Coming from Indian Wells, he also felt that danger and then he missed some of the clay court tournaments.
Then when he comes back he’s got the foot problem and then he goes to Roland-Garros and then all of a sudden he won, so I’m so impressed again with what Rafa is doing.”