Rafael Nadal’s foot injury was the biggest concern heading into the 2022 French Open, having stopped the Spaniard in the round of 16 clash against Denis Shapovalov in Rome only nine days before the event in Paris. The injury and Nadal’s subsequent lack of practice owing to it made him the third favourite in the tournament after Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. But Nadal being Nadal, defied all odds to not just beat the defending champion Djokovic, but also go on to script more record at Roland Garros with his 14th French Open haul.
Nadal’s chronic foot injury saw him miss out the second half of the 2021 season and he later admitted that the pain had put him on the verge of announcing his retirement. But he returned in style in 2022 winning the Melbourne Summer set in January before scripting an impressive and inspiring Australian Open win.
And while Nadal thereafter embarked on a spotless journey, it was halted in the Indian Wells final owing to a rib injury and shortly after his foot injury resurfaced.
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Following the win on Sunday, Nadal made a shocking revelation on his foot injury and he dealt with the pain through the fortnight.
“If I didn’t believe, I probably wouldn’t be here,” said Nadal on Eurosport.
“It was a big surprise [to be here], unexpected and as everyone knows in the world of tennis, the preparation was not ideal.
“I had been off the practice courts for a month and a half with a stress fracture on my rib, and then I had [a problem with my] foot. It stayed there all the time. In Rome it was difficult, but it’s been amazing… I’ve had my doctor here with me.
“We played with no feeling in the foot, with a [pain-killing] injection on the nerve. The foot was asleep, and that’s why I was able to play.”
When asked how many injections he had taken over the fortnight in Paris, Nadal quipped: “It’s better you don’t know”.
It was a comfortable straight-set win for Nadal on court Philippe Chatrier on Sunday as he claimed his 22nd Grand Slam that put him two ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the all-time list.
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