Tennis news today: Rafael Nadal loses comeback match in Cincinnati, Gael Monfils to miss US Open | August 18, 2022

Rafael Nadal and Gael Monfils.

Rafael Nadal played in his first match since withdrawing from the Wimbledon semifinals at the Western & Southern Open on August 17. However, the comeback didn't go to plan as Nadal lost to Borna Coric in the second-round clash.

In other news, Gael Monfils has withdrawn from the US Open due to an injury he sustained at last week's Canadian Open. Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin and Dominic Thiem, meanwhile, headline the list of wildcards at Flushing Meadows.

Elsewhere, Emma Raducanu followed up her win over Serena Williams by defeating Victoria Azarenka in the second round in Cincinnati. Grigor Dimitrov took a wildcard to compete in next week's Winston Salem Open.

Here's a round-up of the day's headlines:

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Rafael Nadal loses to Borna Coric in Cincinnatt

Rafael Nadal made his comeback at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Following a first-round bye, Nadal faced Borna Coric in the second round. The Croat took a closely contested opening set via a tie-break, but the former World No. 1 responded by claiming the second set.

But Nadal's lack of match play exposed him in the deciding set as Coric eventually won 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-3. With the win, he became one of the few players to hold a winning record against the Spaniard, improving to 3-2 in their head-to-head.

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Gael Monfils withdraws from US Open due to injury

Gael Monfils has pulled out of the US Open due to an injury he suffered at last week's Canadian Open. He's set to undergo treatment to fix the issue over the next few weeks, causing him to miss the season's last Grand Slam. Monfils wrote on Twitter:

"Dear all, following the latest medical exams that I took upon returning in Europe, I will sadly not be able to play at the US Open this year. I am forced to undergo a new period of treatment before being able to resume tournaments."

Monfils made his comeback at last week's Canadian Open after a three-month injury layoff. He unfortunately finds himself back on the sidelines just as he seemed to be finding some momentum.

Also Checkout:- Cincinnati Open 2022 Schedule

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Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin and Dominic Thiem among wildcard recipients for 2022 US Open

Grand Slam champions Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin and Dominic Thiem headline the list of US Open wildcards this year. The trio are in various stages of their respective comebacks following injury breaks.

Harmony Tan, Elizabeth Mandlik, Jaimee Fourlis, Peyton Stearns, Eleana Yu and Coco Wandeveghe were the other women to receive wildcards.

Ben Shelton, J.J. Wolf, Sam Querrey, Ugo Humbert, Emilio Nava, Learner Tien and Rinky Hijikata were the wildcard awardees on the men's side.

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Emma Raducanu crushes Victoria Azarenka in Cincinnati

Emma Raducanu dominated Victoria Azarenka to win 6-0, 6-2 in the second round of the Western & Southern Open. It was a fantastic follow-up from the Brit, who beat Serena Williams in the first round.

Raducanu will next take on Jessica Pegula for a place in the quarterfinals. The American has been one of the most consistent players this season, so the youngster will need to work extremely hard to pick up another win.

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Grigor Dimitrov takes wildcard to compete in next week's Winston Salem Open

Grigor Dimitrov has added the Winston Salem Open to his schedule in the lead-up to the US Open. He has taken a wildcard to compete in the tournament set to take place next week.

The Bulgarian's recent results haven't been up to the mark and he could do with more match play before heading to New York. Dimitrov lost in the second round of the Citi Open and the Canadian Open, while losing in the first round of this week's Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

Also Check Out: Gael Monfils Net Worth