Tennis
Rafael Nadal Loses His First Match in Cincinnati to Borna Coric
by privatebet.com - 2022/08/20
Rafael Nadal played his first match since withdrawing from Wimbledon at Cincinnati Open, but it wasn’t the big comeback we were hoping for. The Spanish tennis champion lost to Borna Coric in the opening round of the tournament, putting his future at the US Open in jeopardy. Nadal made a return to tennis after a six-week break following his withdrawal from the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this summer. He took time to recover from an abdominal muscle injury, but his performance in Cincinnati wasn’t that impressive, and he ended up losing 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 6-3 to the world no. 152 Coric. Nadal’s latest loss puts a blow to his US Open hopes, but he’s doing everything in his power to prepare for this Grand Slam and return to his top form. "I need to move forward and just start to think about the energy that the crowd gives me in New York. I know it's a very special place for me, and I enjoy it. [I've had] unforgettable moments there, and I'm going to try my very best every single day to be ready for that," said Nadal. The Western & Southern Open is taking place from August 15-21, and semi-final matches will be played between Daniil Medvedev vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Cameron Norrie vs. Borna Coric.