Rafael Nadal could play his first US Open in two years this August. The four-time champion has entered the men’s singles draw using his protected injury ranking of world No 9, after missing last year’s tournament through injury. His current world ranking is No 261.

Although his protected ranking is inside the top 32, players are not allowed to use the system to gain a seeding, so Nadal could still be drawn against one of the top 32 in the world at the time of the tournament. At the French Open, this dynamic led him to face then-world No 4 Alexander Zverev in the first round, in which the 38-year-old lost in three sets.

Nadal’s 2022 US Open ended in a thrilling defeat to home favourite Frances Tiafoe, who reached the semifinals before losing a five-set thriller to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard is currently playing in both the singles and the doubles tournament in Bastad, Sweden, as he prepares for the Paris Olympics, where he will play singles and doubles, the latter with compatriot Alcaraz.

Another American, Reilly Opelka has also entered using his protected injury ranking of No 33, having returned to tennis at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island this week after two years out through injury.

In the women’s draw, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon run has pushed her inside the top 100, gaining her an automatic entry spot. Ajla Tomljanovic, a 2022 quarterfinalist, and Shelby Rogers, who reached that stage in 2020, have entered using WTA-protected rankings.

What is a protected ranking on the ATP Tour?

Injured male players can petition the ATP for a protected ranking if they are injured for six months or more. If granted, the protected ranking is an average of their ranking in the first three months of their injury.

A player whose injury lasts between six and 12 months can use a protected ranking for nine tournaments or nine months, whichever occurs first, and a player whose injury lasts over 12 months has 12 tournaments or months, whichever occurs first.

What is a protected ranking on the WTA Tour?

WTA-protected rankings, referred to as “special rankings,” do not use an average. They instead use a fixed ranking, taken from the time at which the player first suffered their injury. WTA players can use it for eight tournaments in a 12-month period, or for 12 tournaments if their absence extends beyond 12 months.

Are there limitations on protected ranking entries?

Yes: players can enter a maximum of two Grand Slam events using a protected ranking (the Olympics also counts as an event on this level.) Three former US Open women’s champions — Bianca Andreescu, Angelique Kerber, and Naomi Osaka — have used their allocation of events already, and so will not be eligible to use their protected rankings to enter this year’s tournament.

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