Phillies place OF Brandon Marsh on injured list with right hamstring strain
Rafael Nadal is set to use his protected position to compete in the Paris Olympics, something his fellow Spaniard Pedro Martinez says is ‘not fair’.
After suffering a significant psoas (abdominal muscle) injury at the Australian Open, Nadal missed the majority of 2023’s matches.
As a result, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has plummeted down the rankings to world No.275.
However, Nadal’s extended absence allows him to use his protected ranking of No. 9.
This would allow Nadal to qualify for the Paris Olympics later this year, possibly alongside Carlos Alcaraz (No.3), Pablo Carreno Busta (also using a protected ranking of No.18), and Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina (No.32), as only four players from each nation are eligible to compete in singles.
Martinez, the third-ranked Spaniard at world No.48, is anticipated to lose out as a result of these protected rankings, which he expressed dissatisfaction with earlier this year at Roland Garros.
“In this case, the protected ranking is an injustice because neither of us has missed the Olympic Games due to being injured, regardless of whether it is Rafa, who we all want to see in the Olympic Games, including me as a fan,” stated the 27-year-old. “I don’t think it’s entirely fair. It’s as if I get hurt now and use the protected ranking in four years at the Los Angeles Games.”
He went on to say, “I believe that this year I deserve to compete in the Olympic Games, and not doing so because of a scenario like this is quite unfair. However, you have no influence over it.
The ranking cut-off for the Paris Olympics occurs after Roland Garros, leaving the aforementioned Alcaraz as the sole Spanish player in the singles draw.
Leave a Reply