Despite suffering from a foot injury prior to the French Open, 13-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal looked at his absolute best in Paris this year. In his quarter-final match against Novak Djokovic, he showed his tremendous tenacity to get his revenge from the previous year’s semi-final defeat against the Serb.
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Tomorrow, he will play against the German tennis star Alexander Zverev in the semi-final. However, there is possibly bad news for Rafael Nadal and his fans, as the Spaniard suffered a major setback with the latest injury.
Rafael Nadal could miss Wimbledon with a foot injury
According to recent reports, Rafael Nadal is currently suffering necrosis in the scaphoid of his foot, which could rule him out of the Wimbledon championship, which will start on June 27. Marc Lopez, a technical staff of Nadal’s team, has said, “It is an important, chronic injury, but I think he will be able to lead a normal life when he retires. You cannot be negative thinking that he is going to leave tennis. After the match against Djokovic, he got up with a little pain, but he could move well.” (Google Translate)
Rafael Nadal is suffering necrosis in the scaphoid of his foot and is almost certain to miss Wimbledon, according to @cuatro. pic.twitter.com/FAZAloyIjY
— Sam Street (@samstreetwrites) June 2, 2022
Notably, Nadal has been playing with painkillers for the past few weeks. After suffering a foot injury at the Italian Open, the Spaniard talked about having a doctor at the French Open.
Now, Marc Lopez also pointed out that Nadal could be back in a few months, but he can not continue to play with pain all the time.
According to the latest update provided by the Spaniard after reaching the finals of Roland Garros, it appears now confirmed that he will skip Wimbledon and is planning to take an extended break to heal his foot.
Rafa Nadal will stop for a while after #RolandGarros and miss Wimbledon.
Rest of the season uncertain. https://t.co/rCH9Uu1YZs
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 3, 2022
Nadal expressed the same in the press conference after the French Open semis.
“My mind didn’t change since Rome. I was not very positive about my foot, but I was positive on giving me the opportunity to play here on the last Sunday. I need to do sacrifices to keep playing but it makes sense.
Nadal : "My mind didn't change since Rome. I was not very positive about my foot, but I was positive on giving me the opportunity to play here on the last Sunday. I need to do sacrifices to keep playing but it makes sense." #RolandGarros
— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) June 3, 2022
The 21-time Grand Slam champion continued, “It’s not about having something to proof. It’s about continuing to do what you love. I like tennis, I like to feel I’m competitive against the best of the world. That’s it.”
Nadal : "It's not about having something to proof. It's about continuing to do what you love. I like tennis, I like to feel I'm competitive against the best of the world. That's it.'" #RolandGarros
— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) June 3, 2022
Even though Nadal’s future on the ATP tour after Roland Garros remains a big question mark, good news is that he intends to play as long as possible and this confirms his participation for next year’s French Open, to assume the least.
Nadal is vying for his 14th French Open title
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Meanwhile, Nadal is currently focusing on the French Open title, which he won 13 times on previous occasions. He looked in great form throughout the tournament despite the injury concern. In the quarter-final, he outlasted Novak Djokovic to show his tremendous clay-court prowess.
Injury or not, it’s pretty clear he will be the favorite against Zverev in the semis. In terms of head-to-head records, Nadal is clearly ahead (6-3). However, the German did beat the Spaniard on clay at the Madrid Open last year. It will be a tremendous moment for his career if he can repeat that performance against Nadal tomorrow.
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Watch This Story: Epic Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic encounters at the French Open
Can Zverev cause an upset against Nadal at the French Open 2022? Let us know in the comments.