Picture Credit: Twitter
Rafael Nadal on Sunday revealed that he is finding it extremely hard to play as he is having a lot of troubles with his foot, admitting, “I can't keep going like this, but I am working to find a solution”.
Nadal won his record 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam title with a straight sets win over Casper Ruud at Roland Garros but addressed that his future in the sport remains in doubt. "It's obvious that with circumstances that I am playing, I can't and I don't want to keep going, so the mindset is very clear”, said the 36-year-old.
"I'm going to keep working to try to find a solution and an improvement for what's happening in the foot. If it works, I keep going. If not, it will be another story and I will ask myself if I am ready to do a major surgery which may not guarantee I will be competitive and may take a long time to be back”, Nadal added.
“So if you ask me if I will be in Wimbledon, I can't give you a clear answer”
Nadal expressed that he plans to play at Wimbledon where he has won two championships and that starts in three weeks' time. "I'm going to be in Wimbledon if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon. That's it. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss", he said. "I love Wimbledon. So if you ask me if I will be in Wimbledon, I can't give you a clear answer. Let's see how the treatment works."
The Spaniard has also agreed that if the treatment helps him survive with anti-inflammatories and not anesthetic, he will be at the Championships having missed the tournament last year. "If I am able to play with anti-inflammatories, yes; to play with anesthetic injections, no. I don't want to put myself in that position again", told Nadal.
“I'm going to keep fighting to try to keep going”
After winning the Roland Garros, the 36-year-old had promised the fans he will continue fighting and thanked his team for their support. "I don't know what can happen in the future, but I'm going to keep fighting to try to keep going. For me, it's incredible to play here. It's an incredible feeling. I don't know what I would do in terms of injuries if it wasn't for the team, my family and everyone around me," said Nadal.
"I would've already retired much before if it wasn't for you… I never believed I would be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career one more time in a final. It means everything to me. It means a lot of energy to try to keep going", Nadal concluded.