Rafael Nadal before the French Open final: Better a new foot than another title - and what about Wimbledon?
Rafael Nadal (ATP No. 5) is in the final of the French Open for the 14th time and can further expand his status as a sand GOAT. Although he would gladly do without it for the sake of his health.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Jun 04, 2022, 09:24 am
It really wasn't the way you like to win a match - and certainly not in a semi-final of a Grand Slam tournament. Alexander Zverev's injury in the semifinals against Rafael Nadal brought him back to the Roland Garros final, but of course Nadal made it clear: "It's a dream to be in the final again. But if you have any human feelings, do it you feel sorry for your colleagues."
But Nadal, as we all know, is struggling with major problems this year in particular. The bad foot had already been the big problem in the previous edition of the French Open - after losing to Novak Djokovic, Nadal only played one match of the season and underwent an operation. And it doesn't seem any better this year either. In Rome, Nadal was in "crazy pain" against Denis Shapovalov as he explained . Ultimately, they are always there, but it's all a question of intensity. And that's why there is speculation as to whether the French Open 2022 could possibly be the last for the 36-year-old.
During the tournament, Nadal explained that he would have his personal doctor with him in Paris and that he would be "safe" for the tournament - in the sense of many treatments and probably many painkillers or, as the Spanish Marca wrote, simply about an anesthetic.
Nadal: "Winning is nice, but..."
"I would rather lose the final on Sunday and get a new foot for it," said Nadal accordingly on Friday evening. "Winning is nice, but life is so much more important than titles. Especially after the career I've had."
Nadal had said something similar before the tournament started, "at some point there will come a time when my head says it's enough because the pain takes away the fun. Not just in tennis, but also in life," he explained. How long Nadal will continue to play, with all his love for the sport, depends crucially on his health.
Will Rafael Nadal play at Wimbledon?
Which of course also raises the question of how things will continue after Paris - title or not. As Marca reported on Friday , Nadal will skip the grass season - and thus also Wimbledon. However, this does not appear to be official, a decision has not yet been made, reported British journalist Stuart Fraser ( The Times ) after consulting Nadal's team.
Nadal himself will give little thought to this at the moment. He can extend his (probable) record for eternity on Sunday and secure his 14th French Open title with another win in Roland Garros.
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