Nadal: “I’m going to be in Wimbledon if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon”

The 36-year-old said he would have a new treatment on his left foot next week and hopes it will work to allow him to play at the All England Club

Nadal reaction RG win 2022 – © Mao / Panoramic

Simon Cambers

June 5, 2022

Rafael Nadal says he hopes to play at Wimbledon later this month, if a planned treatment on his chronic left foot works.

The 36-year-old, who won his record 14th Roland-Garros title on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 demolition of Norway’s Casper Ruud, needed injections in his foot before every match to get through the event.

Aiming for the @Wimbledon grass 🌱#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/nHBs71I3bb
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2022

Nadal said he plans to have radio frequency treatment in the foot next week to try to burn the nerve and allow him to play permanently without pain.

“I’m going to be in Wimbledon if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon,” Nadal said. “That’s it. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss. I think nobody want to miss Wimbledon. I love Wimbledon.I had a lot of success there. I live amazing emotions there. So full credit and respect to the tournament. A player like me, I am always ready to play Wimbledon.

“So if you ask me if I will be in Wimbledon, I can’t give you a clear answer. If I want to win Wimbledon, of course. Let’s see how the treatment works. I don’t know.”

Injections before every match in Paris

Nadal said he had to seek further solutions because he could not keep having injections before matches.

“It’s obvious that I can’t keep competing with the foot asleep,” he said.

“Wimbledon is a priority, always have been a priority. 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. Can happen once, but no, is not a philosophy of life that I want to follow.

So let’s see. I am always a positive guy, and I am always expect the things going the right way. So let’s be confident, and let’s be positive. Then let’s see what’s going on.”