Former world No.1 Rafael Nadal has vowed to give it all he has to return back to full fitness after being forced to cut short his 2021 season due to a foot injury.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has only played in one tournament since his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at the French Open due to a foot problem linked to Muller-Weiss syndrome. A condition where there is a deformity in the foot that causes pain which could worsen over time. Nadal has been dealing with the issue since 2004 and recently underwent treatment in Barcelona but not surgery.
Providing an update on his current health during an event promoting a brand new documentary series about his Academy on Amazon Prime, the Spaniard says he continues to experience pain but is determined to return to the Tour.
“I’ve known better, but I’m fine,” Tennis Majors quoted Nadal as saying. “My foot still hurts a bit. It’s been a difficult time. My goal is to get better, knowing that at some point I’m going to have to face difficult and painful stages. But I have to go through them to put myself back in a position to fight for what I want. I am determined to make it happen. ”
This season, Nadal has achieved a win-loss 24-5, as well as winning two ATP titles in Rome and Barcelona on his beloved clay. Besides the French Open, he also reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open before falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“In my original scenario, I was playing Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open,” he continued. “But scenarios cannot always be followed to the letter. You have to know how to adapt and accept things as they come.”
It is unclear as to when the Spaniard will return to competition but it is assumed that the is hope he will be ready in time for the Australian Open in January. It is not the first time he has been sidelined by injury. In the past he has also suffered from issues related to his back, patellar tendinitis in both of his knees, wrist problems and abdominal injuries.
However, Nadal admits that the older he gets, the harder it is to recover from such problems. A perspective which has also been previously expressed by rival Roger Federer, who is dealing with a knee injury at the age of 40.
“I’ve experienced some fantastic things in my career that I never could have dreamed of,” Nadal stated. “I had a hard time with injuries too, but I always found a way to get up and move on. Over the years, you also have to be realistic: things get more complicated, the clock is ticking. But I stay positive and appreciate how lucky I am to experience all of these things.”
Nadal is currently ranked sixth in the ATP rankings. So far in his career he has won 88 ATP titles which is the fourth highest tally in ATP history.
