‘I Have an Injury on the Foot That I Can’t Fix’ – Rafael Nadal Gives Update on His Foot Ahead of the ATP Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal has struggled with his left foot since 2005. Despite the foot issue, the Spaniard has been able to manage the injury to carve out an incredible career so far. Recently, at the pre-tournament conference in Indian Wells, Nadal gave an update about his foot injury. Even though the former World No. 1 accepted that the injury cannot be completely healed, he opened up about his plan of action to manage his foot for the rest of his career. He underlined the importance of enjoying tennis and being able to play pain-free.

Following a defeat to Novak Djokovic at the 2021 Roland Garros, Nadal took a 2-month break from the tour, before making a comeback at the Citi Open in Washinton, D.C. However, his foot bothered him on his comeback trail at the Citi Open, and suffered a third-round loss against Llyod Harris. With his movement clearly hampered, Nadal announced his withdrawal from Toronto Masters and US Open as well. He further announced his withdrawal from the rest of the season citing a foot injury. In September, Nadal gave an update about his surgery. Recovering from the injury, Nadal finally made a comeback at the start of 2022.

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Having an incredible run in 2022 so far, the Spaniard is set to start his Indian Wells campaign, eyeing his 4th title on the hard-court tournament.

Rafael Nadal gives an update about his foot injury

Being the 4th seed, Nadal has received a first-round bye and will start his tournament run from the second round. Being questioned about his foot during the pre-tournament conference, Nadal seemed a bit irritated by the question. He said, “It’s not good to talk all day about the foot but…if it’s okay for you guys, I will say it for the last time because if not this then trying to talk about this. I want to play tennis.”

However, going ahead, he took the question with grace, accepting his injury. “The foot is not gonna be 100% recovered, never. I have an injury on the foot that I can’t fix. That’s the truth,” he said.

Rafael Nadal suffers Mueller-Weiss syndrome, a disorder in the foot which causes chronic pain in the midfoot or hindfoot.

Nadal underlines the importance of enjoying tennis and being able to play pain-free

The Spaniard didn’t shy away from accepting that he suffers awful pain in his foot. He also elaborated on what challenges he has been facing because of his foot. However, he also emphasized that he has been able to overcome those challenges and is doing well now. “Pain, yes I have dire pain on the foot. It’s about having the chance to be able to play without the fear of putting the foot on the right place to hit the ball. That didn’t happen for a long period of time. Now I was able to make that happen most of the days,” he asserted.

“That is why I’m enjoying tennis again. But if you tell me that the foot is not a worry for me anymore, it’s not true. I am worried about my foot every single day because as I said, I have an injury that we can’t fix,” he further added.

How is Rafael Nadal planning his future move?

Nadal is on a dream run since the start of 2022. He is on a 15-0-win streak, winning 3 out of 3 tournaments he has played so far.

Talking about his future, the 21-time Grand Slam champion made a particular point about his treatment. He also pointed out the importance of finding the right balance between playing and knowing the right moments to stop for further treatment.

He said, “For the moment I can be happy about the things, how they are improving. But that’s not the point. I need to do bit more treatment and maybe stop for a little while. Also, to find the right balance between competing and finding the moments to stop and to try to play as long as possible.”

Nadal expresses his thoughts about playing again at Indian Wells

The former World No. 1 ended by talking about his goal for the future, along with expressing love for Indian Wells. “If I am able to plan the right way my calendar and to follow my calendar, I really can’t ask for anything more. That’s my goal. I’m here, I am super happy to be at Indian Wells now. I don’t know what’s gonna happen but enjoying every single day here and let’s see,” he said.

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Rafael Nadal undoubtedly has had an injury-hit career. However, having a never-give-up approach, the 35-year-old has always made a comeback from the ailments, rising up to the top again. Recovering from the foot injury, Nadal has been on a dream run since the beginning of this season. At Indian Wells, he is looking forward to extending his winning streak, eyeing his fourth BNP Paribas Open title and a record-equalling 37th Masters 1000 of his career. The 21-time Grand Slam champion will begin his campaign against Sebastian Korda in the Round of 64 clash this weekend.