Veteran tennis player Rafael Nadal didn’t have the best of returns to the tour after he was stunned by Borna Coric in the opening round of the Cincinnati Masters. Nadal admitted that he didn’t play well and needs to improve and practice to get back to his best.

The Spaniard was making a return to the tour after a six-week layoff after he suffered an abdomen injury while playing in the Wimbledon quarterfinal against America’s Taylor Fritz.

However, Coric went on to beat Nadal by 7-6(9) 4-6 6-3 as he came up with his best.

“Obviously I didn’t play my best match, something that can happen,” Nadal told reporters. “So coming back from a tough period of time, something that’s easy to accept and easy to say congrats to Borna that he played better.

“I need to improve. I need to practise. I need to return better. I need days, and that’s the truth. It’s obvious that I was not ready enough to win the match today.”(It) has been a difficult injury to manage. The last month and a half haven’t been easy.”

Despite his Round-of-32 loss against Borna Coric, Nadal is not losing hope for the US Open. Nadal added that he needs to practice hard to get back at his best and be prepared for the New York Major.

“I am positive,” he said. “In terms of practice, I need to start to be in a Grand Slam mode, practising the way that I need to practise to be competitive since the beginning there, and I hope I will be able to make that happen.

“I need to move forward and just start to think about the energy that the crowd gives me in New York. I know it’s a very special place for me, and I enjoy it, unforgettable moments there, and I’m going to try my very best every single day to be ready for that.”

The U.S. Open starts on Aug. 29.