The Balearic Islands compete with a friendly team for its fifth title in New York
Minutes after Novak Djokovic announced that he will not be able to compete in the US Open, due to his refusal to be vaccinated and because of the laws in the United States that prohibit unvaccinated people from entering the country. Coming up, the draw for the final Grand Slam of the season revealed the fate of the Spaniards.
Rafael Nadal, who is going to the US Open after overcoming the abdominal injury that kept him in dry dock for a month and a half, found himself with a friendly draw and the big stumbling block in the semi-finals with Carlos Alcaraz. The Balearic Islands make their debut against Australian Rinji Hijikata, a 21-year-old invited by the organisation, and along the way he can face Fabio Fognini, who came back here from two sets in 2015, or Aslan Karatsev in the second round; Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round; and the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman or the American Frances Tiafoe in the round of 16.
In the quarter-finals, more important names emerge, such as Cameron Norrie, seventh seed, Denis Shapovalov or Andrey Rublev, while for the semi-finals Alcaraz would remain, who already reached the quarter-finals here last year, in which it was his first major exposure to the public.
Nadal is building an unassailable 17-0 in Grand Slams this season after the Wimbledon semi-final, in which he had to withdraw due to a stomach injury, with the titles of Australia and Roland Garros behind him. In New York, he won four times, his second most successful major, after Paris. The last was in 2019, when he defeated Daniil Medvedev, this year’s current champion.
The one from Manacor, however, comes with little preparation for the US tour this year, as he had to leave the Masters 1,000 in Canada to recover 100% of his belly and in Cincinnati he only lasted one game as he lost the first to change with the Croatian Borna Coric, eventual champion of the tournament.
Alcaraz, who has been deflated after a fine first part of the season since Roland Garros, makes his debut against the Argentinian Sebastián Báez and would continue in the second round with the Dutch Tallon Greek track, Coric in the third, this is one of the toughest crosses, and the Croatian Marin Cilic, in eighths.
In the quarter-finals he was able to cross his Wimbledon executioner, Jannik Sinner, and in the semi-finals with Nadal. Both the Spaniard and the Murcian avoid Medvedev until the final. The clash between Alcaraz and Nadal could be the third of the season, with a win for Nadal in Indian Wells and another for Alcaraz in Madrid, and fourth overall, going 2-1 in favor of the man from Manacor .
On the Spanish side, Garbiñe Muguruza will make his debut against the Danish Clara Tauson, number 58 in the standings, and Paula Badosa, against the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, number 89 in the standings. Badosa can face Victoria Azarenka in the third round, while Muguruza can play her third match against Petra Kvitova. Both Spaniards would face each other in the semi-finals. This is the worst Grand Slam for both as Badosa has never made it to the second round and Muguruza’s top is the round of 16 she made in 2017 and 2021.
Source: La Verdad
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
