Watch: Rafael Nadal practices with a splint on injured right wrist

When Rafael Nadal returns to competition, his lefty forehand should be dialed in. Last week the ATP's No. 2 withdrew from the Rogers Cup and next week's Western

Courtney Nguyen | Aug 4, 2014

Watch: Rafael Nadal practices with a splint on injured right wrist /

When Rafael Nadal returns to competition, his lefty forehand should be dialed in.

Last week the ATP's No. 2 withdrew from the Rogers Cup and next week's Western & Southern Open due to a right wrist injury he sustained in practice. But that hasn't kept him off the practice courts (the U.S. Open is just three weeks away) -- with his right wrist immobilized in a splint, the Spaniard is still hitting the cover off of the ball with his forehand.

[youtube:http://youtu.be/xgMvTw_yl2w]

Here's a closeup of Nadal's splint, courtesy of his Facebook page.

Published Aug 4, 2014

COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.