Rafael Nadal on entry list for 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament

July 17 (UPI) -- Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who missed five of the last six Grand Slams events, is on the entry list for the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament in August.

Placement on the entry list, which was released Tuesday, does not ensure he will remain in the field. Nadal, 38, skipped Wimbledon earlier this month so that he could focus on the 2024 Summer Games. His other Grand Slam absences were tied to injuries.

He said in May that there was "a good chance" that his run at the 2024 French Open, which ended in the first round, was his final at the clay-court major.

After opting out of the grass-court competition at Wimbledon, Nadal will return to the same clay-courts of Roland Garros for the 2024 Summer Games.

He also is set to team up with Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won the French Open and Wimbledon, in the Paris 2024 doubles tournament.

Nadal was placed on the U.S. Open entry list through the protected ranking system, an average of a player's ranking through the first three months of a long-term injury. His protected ranking is No. 9, while his current placement is No. 261 in the ATP Tour singles rankings.

No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy, No. 2 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, No. 3 Alcaraz, No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany and No. 5 Daniil Medvedev of Russia are the top men's players on the entry list.

No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, No. 2 Coco Gauff of the United States, No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, No. 4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and No. 5 Jasmine Paolini of Italy are the top women on the entry list.

Nadal is 8-5 in singles matches this season. He beat No. 461 Leo Borg of Sweden in straight sets in the Round of 32 at the Nordea Open on Tuesday in Bastad, Sweden. He will face No. 42 Cameron Norrie of Great Britain on Thursday in the Round of 16.

The Olympic tennis tournament will start July 27 at Roland Garros in France. The 2024 U.S. Open will be held Aug. 29 to Sept. 8 in Flushing, N.Y.