Masters 1,000 Cincinnati 2022 | Nadal, excited to be number one again: “It means a lot to me”

The Spanish Rafa Nadal, who returns to compete in Cincinnati after his injury suffered at Wimbledon, assured that he is clear that it is not possible “to return to a fantastic level from the beginning” and that things “will be complicated” in his first duels, although he faces the tournament with enthusiasm and desire to put himself to the test.

“I’m trying to do things right, trying to be a bit conservative. I hope I’m ready.” he added.

Nadal, who won four tournaments this year, including the Australian Open and Roland Garros, stressed the need for a Masters 1,000 tournament and the importance of approaching it with humility. “When you come back after a little bit of time off you have to keep in mind that things won’t be perfect. You can’t expect to get back to a fantastic level from the start. You have to have the humility to fight with the tools you have at the start to win the first match,” she assured.

“Then when you win one or two matches, things change and you start to feel competitive again.“, he continued. He also stressed that “the competition is different” with respect to the pace of training.

“If you play well, and I think I’m playing more or less well, you have a good feeling on the court. But the competition is different and you have to accept that things will be complicated, and more so in a Masters 1,000,” he said.

“When you come back, even in a big one, if you’re lucky with the draw, even if you’re not playing at a high level you have a chance to win a couple of games. But in a Masters 1,000 the rivals are very demanding from the beginning, so that you have to play at a high level and that’s what I’m going to try to do,” he concluded.