Rafael Nadal explains why his doctor is going to be with him at Roland Garros

AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino

Rafael Nadal meets with the press after his 6-1, 5-7, 2-6 loss to Denis Shapovalov in Rome.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Rafa, please.

Q. It looks it was very difficult at the end of the game. Did you feel something bad?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I have my foot. That’s all. I had my foot again with a lot of pain, and that’s it.

Q. I wanted to know whether you had any thoughts about the French Open, looking like you’re injured here?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I am not injured. I am a player living with an injury. That’s it. No, no, is nothing new. It’s something that is there.

Unfortunately my day-by-day is difficult, honestly. Even like this, I am trying hard. Of course, it’s difficult for me to accept the situation sometimes, no? Yeah, can be frustrating that a lot of days I can’t practice the proper way. Then today at half the second set starts the thing, then wasn’t playable for me.

Well done for Denis. Sorry, I came straight away. I don’t want to take away any great from Denis. He deserve probably they way that he lost his match with me in Australia this year, and last year here. Today is for him. Well done for him, that’s it.

Q. It comes random or from some movement?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, it’s not comes. Is there all the time.

Q. Sometimes more?

RAFAEL NADAL: Sometimes more, sometimes less. Today was crazy. That’s it.

I don’t know. I would love to tell you another stuff, talk about tennis and talk about another thing. But today it’s what there is. What can happen in the next couple of days, I don’t know. What can happen in one week, I really don’t know now.

Today, as you can imagine, even if I have a lot of experience on things, today is tough for me, no? I started the season great, then happened the rib.

Since I came back, the foot have been tough, being honest, no? It’s tough for me to be able to practice the proper way days in a row. So then you need to move well to compete at the highest level, something that I am not able to practice. Then things becomes much more difficult.

Negative thing and toughest thing for me today is honestly I start to feel myself play much better. I started the match playing much better. My practice was much better, the warmup, than the other day.

Yeah, I feel sad about that, that I started to feel again a lot of positive things. But then when these kind of stuff happens, the rest of the things, the rest of the positive things disappears, no?

Yeah, it’s the time to accept the situation and fight. That’s it. Honestly, I can’t tell you anything more now. It’s not about that I can come back and can do treatment, that’s the negative part of this thing. I have to come back.

I don’t know if rest, I don’t know if maybe practice. But I still a goal in one week and a couple of days. I going to keep dreaming about that goal.

Q. What do you think you’ll be able to do between now and the French Open to prepare your best?

RAFAEL NADAL: First thing that I need to do is to don’t have pain to practice, that’s it. And the negative thing is today it’s not possible to play for me. But maybe in two days things are better, that’s the thing that I have on my foot.

It’s true that during the French Open, Roland Garros, I going to have my doctor there with me. That sometime helps because you can do things.

But I don’t know. I am just sad obviously today. As everybody knows, is a tournament that I like a lot. Be out is something that I don’t like, no?

In the positive days and in the negative days, you need to stay and to value all the things that happened to me in a positive way. Then days like today, just accept and try to keep going even if sometimes it’s not easy for me.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

49 comments

  1. Djokovic reveals that he ‘feels perfect” ahead of the French Open. If that’s not an arrogant message he’s sending out, then I don’t know what is.
    All I know is that Alcaraz or a fit Rafa wouldn’t have let him off the hook with a 6-0 lead in the Rome Final. I saw him gasping for air in the first set.

    Since Rafa’s fitness is in doubt, Alcaraz has the best chance of winning the FO and my bet is that he will. His videos in traing show that he works extremely hard and has tremendous stamina now.

    • Sorry but that is not going to happen. Best of 5 us different then best of 3 remember stefanos last year or musetti is ti difficult to beat nkke in best of 5

    • Rafa will win the French Open 2022 for the 14th time.. The tennis gods are with you Rafa..The GOAT for sure…

  2. We all just want you to be pain free, which doesn’t seem possible, but we all send our prayers and hope having your doctor with you in Paris will be very helpful. I really believe you have more fans than any other tennis player because you are so humble so honest and always play your heart out. There will never be another player like you, and I have been watching tennis for 40 years. I just want the best for you, and I want to thank you for all the wonderful memories I have after watching you all these years. You are the best ever!!!

  3. It’s been reported today that Rafa will travel to Paris on Wednesday. As usual, he hasn’t given up. If he plays, Rafa will be seeded 5 at RG. I wish him all the best 🙏🏻🤞🏻

  4. I’ve never supported Novak in my life but I was rooting for him today to beat the arrogant Stefanos, who said a few weeks ago that there is no big 3 anymore. Really? Don’t disrespect Rafa (and Roger and Novak) like that again – until of course you win 24 grand slams yourself. Also not forgiven for smacking Carlos with the ball on purpose in Barcelona. Novak is clearly peaking for the FO. Get well soon Rafa and show them all who is the best!!! Vamos.

    • OwlCat, Stefanos made that comment over four weeks ago and I think it’s true.. Putting it into context, I don’t believe he was being arrogant. He was just explaining that the “Big three” were no longer at the top of the rankings with Djokovic’s comeback fitness was uncertain and Rafa abd Roger out injured.
      In any event, I would root for anyone over Djokovic no matter how good he’s playing because he is the one who displays true arrogance.

  5. The way Djokovic’s playing ……. he’s going to do best to defend his title. 😱😱😭😭😭

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