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Nadal on ATP's wave of injuries: Nobody understands it better than me

ByKamakshi Tandon

Published Aug 17, 2017

Injuries have benched Rafael Nadal's top rivals this week in Cincinnati, but the Spaniard says he knows what it's like more than any of them.

A full seven of the Top 10 are currently sidelined—Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic all withdrew from the event with injury, while Novak Djokovic, Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka have announced they will not play again this season.

Nadal is the lone member of the Top 5 competing. Federer, Murray, Djokovic and Wawrinka have all withdrawn from events this season because of injury.

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"Is something that happens, because we are not 20 years old anymore," Nadal said following his opening-round win in Cincinnati. "This year, it happened a couple of times. But I tell you one thing: I have been in that position more than all those players.

"That's part of the sport."

Nadal said he hoped the players would recover soon, but noted he has also been sidelined multiple times in his career, including half a dozen Grand Slam events across 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

"But at the same time, I tell you, Roger didn't have a lot of things during his career," Nadal said. "Novak same, Andy the same. Stan, I don't think he had a lot of issues too.

"I’m the only one of these top players that missed a lot of important tournaments in my career. More than nobody else, I know how tough it is."

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Nadal on ATP's wave of injuries: Nobody understands it better than me

Nadal on ATP's wave of injuries: Nobody understands it better than me

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