Tennis

Nadal withdraws from U.S. Open tune-up event in Cincinnati with foot issue

Rafa Nadal's U.S. Open preparations have suffered another setback after the Spaniard withdrew from next week's Cincinnati hardcourt event with a nagging foot issue, organizers of the Masters 1000 tournament said on Wednesday.

Milos Raonic will also miss Western and Southern Open along with Federer, Djokovic

Rafael Nadal is the latest in a number of high-profile names to sit out next week's Cincinnati tournament. (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic and Spanish star Rafael Nadal are the latest players to withdraw from the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament, set to get underway this weekend in Cincinnati.

Nadal suffered a shock exit last week in Washington, where he kicked off his lead-up to the U.S. Open, and on Tuesday pulled out of the ongoing Masters 1000 event in Toronto with a left foot issue.

The Spaniard is the latest in a number of high-profile names to sit out next week's Western and Southern Open, joining a list that includes Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Sofia Kenin.

Raonic, listed as out with a heel injury, has only played in a handful of matches this season due to various injuries.

Canada's Milos Raonic will miss the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati due to a heel injury. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

In his pre-tournament news conference in Toronto on Sunday, Nadal said a recurring foot issue he has been dealing with since 2005 returned at the French Open, where he fell to eventual champion Djokovic in the semifinals.

When discussing his Toronto withdrawal Nadal, who also sat out Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics, said: "With this pain, I am not able to enjoy, and I really don't believe that I have chances to fight for the things that I really need to fight."

Nadal won the Western and Southern Open in 2013, and Raonic was the 2020 runner-up when the event was temporarily moved from Cincinnati to New York as part of the U.S. Open bubble due to COVID-19.

Venus Williams also withdrew from the Western and Southern Open on Tuesday.

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