Rafael Nadal believes winning Olympic doubles gold in Rio can inspire him to glory at the US Open.
Nadal returned from injury in Brazil to win the doubles alongside Spanish partner Marc Lopez while in the singles he reached the semi-finals, where he lost to eventual runner-up Juan Martin del Potro.
The Olympics was Nadal's first tournament since pulling out of the French Open with a wrist injury in May and he is now looking to carry that momentum to New York.
"I enjoyed the Olympics a lot, no?" Nadal said. "I was two months and a half outside of the competition, and not only outside of the competition, outside the practice courts. I couldn't practise.
"The real thing is I arrived there and I decided to go there and just at the last moment because I thought that I would not be ready for the competition.
"But the motivation, the passion, sharing moments with the team helped a lot.
"I have been playing at a very high level so that helps me to play well in the Olympics and I hope it's going to help me to play well here."
Nadal's injury to his left wrist forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon and its recovery will be crucial to his chances at Flushing Meadows.
The 30-year-old is placed in Novak Djokovic's half of the draw, meaning he is due to meet the Serb in the semi-finals, and faces Denis Istomin on Monday in round one.
Djokovic is also struggling with a wrist problem heading into the tournament and Nadal admits he is still not 100 per cent.
"I am a little bit better," Nadal said. "The wrist still bothers me a little bit. It's true that the wrist bothers me a little bit less every day. I need to understand again to hit my normal forehand.
"During the wrist injury always you try to find movements to avoid the pain. So I think today I can start the forehand, I think my normal forehand, but still needs time to feel that I am more confident on my wrist.
"But I am practising well and I am competing well I think."
Source: PA
