Rafael Nadal not only fights with his opponents at the French Open in Paris, but also with immense pain. A chronic foot injury is troubling him. Nevertheless, the 36-year-old wins, as he did in Australia. His uncle reveals that he now also wants to compete in Wimbledon.
Spain's tennis star Rafael Nadal will probably be there at the grass classic in Wimbledon despite his foot problems. "Yes, he plays in Wimbledon," said his uncle Toni Nadal on the sidelines of the ATP tournament in Stuttgart. His nephew will start preparatory training for the third Grand Slam tournament of the year on Monday in his native Mallorca on the sidelines of the Mallorca Open. "I'm sure if he has a small chance he will play at Wimbledon," he added. The 36-year-old Nadal had previously won the Australian and French Open.
Just two days after his 14th victory at the French Open, Nadal had undergone pulsed radiofrequency therapy in Barcelona for chronic pain in his left foot. The affected foot nerves would be numbed with this treatment and could no longer transmit the pain stimulus to the brain, it said. Immediately after the treatment, his nephew said that everything hurt. "I spoke to him again yesterday. It's much better at the moment, he's very happy," said Toni Nadal. A second round of therapy is not excluded.
The record Grand Slam winner had injections against the complaints in Paris before each of his seven games. He also revealed he was on anti-inflammatories throughout the tournament at the Bois de Boulogne. But that can't be a permanent solution, he stressed. At the tournament in Wimbledon from June 27th to July 10th, Nadal definitely does not want to repeat the procedure in Paris.
Toni Nadal does not fear long-term consequences. "It won't be a problem later, it's just a problem to play at the moment," said the 61-year-old. "If he does an operation, everything would go away. But if he does it, he can no longer play at a high level. That's why he doesn't want to do it. Otherwise, an operation wouldn't be an issue."
