At 34, the Spanish player was abruptly eliminated from the Rome tournament, his chronic foot pain preventing him from playing.
“Today I couldn’t play. But maybe in two days it will be better. HAS Roland Garros, I will have my doctor with me. It can help.” Rafael Nadal did not give up on Thursday, in the round of 16 of the Rome tournament. But unable to move normally due to chronic foot pain, the Spaniard was eliminated on Thursday by the 16th in the world, the Canadian Denis Shapovalov (1-6, 7-5, 6-2).
Nadal suffers from chronic and incurable foot pain (Muller-Weiss syndrome) which forced him to end his season last year. He only returned to competition in January to win the Australian Open and bring the record for Grand Slam titles to 21.
“There is nothing new, it is there”
Before landing in Australia in early January, Nadal had not been seen on a tennis court for five months due to the incurable necrosis of the navicular bone from which he has suffered since his debut and from which he tries to hold the effects. (pain) within limits he can control. Never forget the Spaniard’s mantra: it’s not the pain that counts, but what the head – the mind, the mind – does with that pain.
“It’s a pain that comes and goes. Sometimes stronger, sometimes less. Today was crazy. I did not get injured, I am a player who lives with this injury. There’s nothing new. It’s here”, he insisted, the Spaniard explained after his defeat on Thursday.
In March, the Majorcan was injured again, with a rib, in the semi-finals in Indian Wells. He only returned to the circuit in Madrid where he lost in the quarter-finals to future winner Carlos Alcaraz. But in Rome he hadagain very sore foot”. “I don’t know if I should rest or train. But I always have a goal in a week and a few days. I will dream of this goal“, he assured in reference to Roland-Garros (May 22-June 5) where he hopes to fight for a 14th trophy.