Buenos Aires, Feb 2 (IANS) Rafael Nadal has been granted a wild card to defend his Argentina Open title in Buenos Aires next week, organisers said on Monday.
The 29-year-old Spaniard, who defeated Argentine Juan Monaco in last year’s final, will play his first match of the tournament on Wednesday or Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Nadal, currently ranked fifth in the world, said he sought a place in the clay-court tournament after his first-round exit at the Australian Open last month.
“I asked for this wild card after the bad result in Melbourne and I hope that Buenos Aires will once again be the start of a good run for me. I will try my best to make sure it is,” the 14-time Grand Slam winner said.
The ATP 250 tournament will also boast world No.6 David Ferrer, No.9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No.12 John Isner.
Nadal’s next assignment after Buenos Aires will be the Rio Open starting on February 15.