Rafael Nadal appears on US Open entry list with Spaniard's retirement plans in doubt

Rafael Nadal has entered the US Open main draw on a protected ranking. Many expected the Paris Olympics to be Nadal's final flourish as a professional tennis player but the Games finish two weeks before play gets underway at Flushing Meadows.

Nadal has won the US Open four times previously - most recently in 2019 - but he was forced to sit out last year's tournament due to injury. Currently sitting 261st in the world, the 38-year-old is on the men's singles entry list courtesy of his protected ranking.

Some players are granted protected rankings by the ATP after extended periods of absence, whether due to injury or other reasons, to allow them to compete in tournaments they likely would have qualified for before they were sidelined.

Nadal missed the vast majority of the 2023 season after injuring a hip flexor at the Australian Open and later undergoing keyhole surgery. The Spaniard's injury woes caused him to miss the US Open last year for the first time since 2004.

Denis Shapovalov, Reilly Opelka and Pablo Carreno Busta are among the other players on the men's side of the draw to benefit from a protected ranking, with the event at Flushing Meadows starting on August 26.

Nadal made his long-awaited Grand Slam return at the French Open in May. But the king of Roland-Garros landed a difficult first-round draw and was dumped out by Alexander Zverev in straight sets.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion sat Wimbledon out with a view to competing in other tournaments towards the end of this season. Nadal has kept the specifics of his retirement plans under wraps, repeatedly stating that this will probably be his last year as a pro while refusing to rule out a return to the French Open in 2025.

To many, the Paris Olympics at Roland-Garros feels like a natural end point, but that will not be the case if he competes at the US Open in August and September. Nadal returned to the court at the Nordea Open this week.

A win alongside Casper Ruud in men's doubles was followed by a confident victory against Bjorn Borg's son, Leo, in men's singles on Tuesday.

"For me, it has been a huge honour to play against the son of one of the biggest legends in the history of our sport," Nadal said. "I think he played quite well, he has a great future in front of him. I wish him all the very best."

He continued: "Playing in front of a full crowd means a lot to me. It gives me energy to keep practicing every day. Even in the tougher moments, I have been able to keep going with the help of the team, but of course the fans have a huge impact on that. They give me amazing energy."