"Can someone tie this man down for just a week or something, I want him to heal" - Tennis fans react as Rafael Nadal trains amid recovery from abdominal injury

Social media was buzzing on Tuesday as Rafael Nadal took to the practice courts for the first time since his withdrawal ahead of the Wimbledon semifinals two weeks ago. The Spaniard has been nursing an abdominal tear that ended his chances of a Calendar Grand Slam, but it seems his recovery is going well.

Nadal was seen ripping a few forehands during a training session at his academy in his hometown of Mallorca. The focus on the forehand was understandable given his comments after his Wimbledon quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz, when the injury first surfaced.

The 36-year-old had said back then that serving would be his biggest challenge on the road to recovery, given the stress it applies to the abdominal area.

After seeing visuals of Nadal's return to the court in the lead-up to the US Open, tennis fans on social media expressed excitement as well as nervousness. Many of them urged the 22-time Grand Slam champion to take it easy.

"Can someone tie this man down for just a week or something. I want him to heal," one fan said on Twitter.

While there was nothing to indicate whether or not Nadal tried to serve, he certainly hit the forehand well and his movement looked good too. The Spaniard sported his vintage sleeveless training jersey and a cap worn backwards during the practice session.

Nadal fought hard in his Wimbledon last eight match to win a five-set thriller despite contracting the injury in the first set itself. That was his 19th consecutive Grand Slam match win this season.

While his Calendar Grand Slam bid saw an unfortunate end, Nadal is still unbeaten in Grand Slams this season.

"This just made my day! Looking forward to the U.S. Open!! Hope to see him there. If not, his health is way more important than a grand slam title," another fan tweeted after learning of the 36-year-old's return to training.

Rafael Nadal's outfits revealed for the American hardcourt swing and US Open

2019 US Open - Day 14

Rafael Nadal's outfits for the Toronto Masters, Cincinnati Masters and the US Open have been revealed. The Spaniard will be mixing his usual style with a bit of uniqueness for the American hardcourt swing.

At the Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati, the World No. 3 will be seen sporting a gray T-shirt with purple shorts, in what many are calling a rather simple look. At the US Open, however, Nadal's kit has a brownish red shade, giving him a very different look compared to the outfits he usually wears.

This particular kit is for night session matches at Flushing Meadows though. That means he could be seen in the same kit as Toronto and Cincinnati during the day session matches in New York.

The Mallorcan last played at the US Open in 2019, when he won his fourth title there. He missed the 2020 edition to prioritize playing in the French Open, which was scheduled to start shortly after the end of the US Open that year due to COVID-19.

Nadal was forced to skip the 2021 US Open as his chronic foot injury ended his season after the French Open itself.

The former World No. 1 had earlier expressed that he could skip the Cincinnati Masters this year. But given the recent developments, it will be interesting to see if he decides to play the event to get some more match time under his belt.