Nadal reveals he IS planning to play at Wimbledon despite foot injury

Rafael Nadal reveals he IS planning to play at Wimbledon for the first time in THREE YEARS despite ongoing foot problem… with the Australian Open and French Open champion planning to fly to London on Monday

  • Rafael Nadal is planning to play at Wimbledon as he allays fears of a foot injury
  • The Spaniard’s chronic foot issue required injections throughout French Open
  • He has undergone radiofrequency treatment in Barcelona as an alternative
  • Speaking in Mallorca on Friday, Nadal is now optimistic he can play Wimbledon
  • He has not featured at the London Grand Slam since a semi-final back in 2019 

Rafael Nadal has provided a huge boost to tennis fans by revealing he intends to play at Wimbledon for the first time since 2019 this month.

Having lifted the French Open title against Casper Ruud recently, Nadal was candid afterwards that he would trade that trophy in for a new foot, such is the severity of the injury he is battling against.

Nadal vowed that he wouldn’t continue to take painkilling injections just to be able to play but speaking in Mallorca on Friday after a week training on a grass court, the Spaniard finally shed light on if he was in, or out, of the All England Club slam.  

A smiling Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he is intending to play at Wimbledon this month

The 36-year-old Spaniard has spent the last week training on grass at a base in Mallorca

Nadal has not appeared at Wimbledon since losing a 2019 semi-final to Roger Federer

‘My intention is to play Wimbledon,’ Nadal told a press conference in Mallorca. 

‘I have trained well this week and my departure on Monday for London is to that effect. 

‘But my foot situation must be evaluated day after day, so at this moment I don’t have this certainty of being able to play. I just know that I want to play the tournament, but we must also be careful.’

The Australian Open and French Open champion added: ‘Now it’s too early to give a definitive answer. 

‘In the first days I had complicated feelings, day after day I got better. One more week of training in London and I hope to be able to play at Wimbledon and to be competitive to do so.’

Nadal is the stand-out male player in 2022 so far, kicking it off winning the Australian Open

He followed that up by claiming his 14th French Open title at Roland Garros earlier this month

Nadal is halfway to completing a famous calendar Grand Slam and the prospect of further extending his Slam total on Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, who are both two behind on 20, has proven tempting. 

He last played at Wimbledon in 2019, losing out in the semi-finals to Federer.

Nadal hasn’t won Wimbledon since back in 2010 and elected to skip it last season after seeing his body falter at last year’s French Open. 

Injury, specifically, in his foot, has been the subject of great debate in tennis circles and Nadal revealed after defeating Ruud how he had taken injections throughout this past French Open to be able to play.

At 36, Nadal knows his chronic foot injury is incredibly problematic and he has looked to find a solution at a clinic in Barcelona where he recently underwent a radiofrequency procedure, which looks to attack nerve endings in a bit to shut off the pain. 

Fears over his foot problem plunged Wimbledon into doubt but he now says he wants to play

‘What was done in Barcelona is not a 10 per cent immediate thing, but the changes are noticeable, I have noticed them, strange sensations, my joint pain has decreased,’ he added at Friday’s press conference, before detailing how he had two rounds of radiofrequency treatment.

Wimbledon will be without the injured Federer and Alexander Zverev, who lost to Nadal in Paris after sustaining ankle ligament damage, while Russian star Daniil Medvedev will play no part with Russian and Belarusian players banned from competing by the All England Club.

That in turn opens up the men’s draw and Nadal, the stand-out male player in 2022, is increasingly optimistic that following his treatment in Barcelona, he can be competitive in south west London. 

Wimbledon gets underway on June 27. 


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