Nadal: "I can't continue competing with my foot asleep"

The Spaniard explains his ordeal and a new treatment to lengthen his career

MADRID, 5 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal explained this Sunday that he had to play these two weeks in Paris with his foot asleep so as not to feel pain, a great risk that was worth it to seek his 14th Roland Garros but not beyond, pending a treatment that awaits be better and allow him to be at Wimbledon as the next big date.

"It was an emotional victory, also unexpected in a way. I'm very happy. It's been two great weeks, from the beginning I've been improving day by day. With the circumstances in which I'm playing I don't want to and I can't continue. keep trying to find a solution and an improvement to what is happening," he said.

The champion in Paris, after beating Casper Ruud in three sets whom he congratulated for his values ​​and his level, opened at a press conference once the tournament was over to talk about his foot problem. "I've been able to play with nerve injections to numb the foot. It's a big risk. I play without pain, but also with zero sensation," he explained.

"It was necessary to block the nerves to make the foot numb. I can't go on like this, we have to find a solution. We will do everything to try to continue. We talked to several doctors, there are different options. We are going to try a treatment next week. If it's possible, I would love to continue. I can't keep competing with my foot asleep."

The man from Manacor, who raised his 22nd Grand Slam title, said that the new treatment will be "a radiofrequency injection into the nerve." "If it doesn't work it's another story, and I'll wonder if I'm capable of doing other things like a major operation that takes a lot of time and doesn't guarantee me to come back okay," he said.

"I will go to Wimbledon if my body is ready to go. It is a tournament I don't want to miss, no one wants to miss it. My tennis career has been a priority in my life, but it has never been above my happiness. If I am not able to continue, I will do other things," he added.

In addition, the Spaniard recalled that he competes for his "passion" for tennis, not for the 'great' career against Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, and confessed that in Paris he had to isolate himself from many setbacks in 2022, such as the broken rib and that foot problem, which made him arrive without rhythm at the French Open.