He has 10 days left, Rafael Nadal. Wimbledon kicks off on June 27. Barely 4 weeks after he triumphed for the 14th time on the Parisian clay court.
“My intention is to try to participate in Wimbledon,” the Spanish tennis player told a press conference. That took place in his hometown of Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands, where he trained on grass for the first time on Monday.
“After this week of training, it appears there are opportunities,” added Rafael Nadal, who travels to London on Monday to train and play some friendlies.
So the injury woes are not over for Rafel Nadal yet. For years he has suffered from Müller-Weiss syndrome, a degenerative and incurable disease characterized by the deformation of one of the bones of the foot.
The former world number one recently revealed that he had to play at Roland Garros with a numb foot. He didn’t want to repeat that at Wimbledon.
Two days after his triumph at Roland-Garros, Nadal began a “pulsed radiofrequency treatment (PRF)” that “numbes the nerves in the area of the injury he is suffering,” his spokesman said.
The Spaniard said on Friday that he noticed the “changes” caused by this treatment. “It’s been a week since I limped. I’m happy about that,” he said. “It has reduced the pain that prevented me from supporting the foot.”
Nadal already has two wins at Wimbledon on his record. His first in 2008, his second in 2010. Last year, Nadal also missed the British grass tournament.
Rafael Nadal also confirmed at the press conference that he is becoming a father for the first time. “I’m going to be a father but I’m not used to talking about my personal life. I think I’ve opened up enough during my career.”
The Spaniard is trying to protect his private life. He and his entourage prefer to live in discretion. Nadal did not want to say much about his fatherhood. “I don’t foresee any change in my professional life.”
