Rafael Nadal will undergo tests on his injured right wrist this week at Barcelona, and expects to make a decision about whether he’ll play the U.S. Open.
The Spaniard hurt his right wrist during practice ahead of the hard-court season and has since been practicing while wearing a splint. He has not been hitting backhands, and says the test results and his ability to play the stroke will be the reasons behind his decision about defending his Grand Slam title.
"Then I will know if the injury has improved or if I have to wait a little longer. If the tests show that it has improved, then I will have to try to see how much it hurts to hit backhand," he said to Spanish television channel IB3.
Nadal said he wants to play the tournament, but only if he is able to be competitive.
"But we have to consider what we have left is a week and a half. That does not give much room to force it, and I could not do it if I see that I cannot hit a backhand," he said.