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
It will be a good idea to have your doctor with you for the support
He has so much money shouldnt his team just search over the whole world to someone who can fix this problem.
Rafa’s physician is Angel Ruiz Cotorro of Barcelona. He is world class in his field. (Not sure if it will be Dr. Cotorro who will be with him in Paris.)
Rafa was first diagnosed in 2005. By the way, with Dr. Cotorro’s guidance and treatment Rafael Nadal has won 21 Grand Slam tournaments.
Thank you to Dr. Cotorro.🙏
21 GS trophies while dealing with this chronic foot problem and other injuries he has had in his career are simply incredible by Rafa.👍👏 What a warrior, so admirable.❤️
Money can’t fix everything…it’s uncurable
Rafa should be xarefuk not to end up retiring as a cripple. He should reserve a bit of himself ti enjoy his retirement with his damily. He has done so much already and entertained us more than any other.
I think that nadal should withdraw from the french open and focuss on wimbeldon or perhaps the hardcourt season. I dont understand why rafa after his foot injury decided to play 4 clay court tournaments. Normally when you are from the tour so long you should think about your career and perhaps decides that it will be best not to play so many tournaments.
Sometimes i wish that toni nadal would still be around he would have told rafa the truth that he should make changes about his game stop playing long rallies change the position on the court stop standing so far behind the baseline stop returning so predictable cross every opponent knows how rafa returns you could see that with shapoalov. Maybe you should hire someone who can work on your serve, you should stay closer to the baseline and play more serve and volley.
Rafa keeps playing the same as when he was in his twenties. Sometimes you get the feeling that Moya and Roing dont have much to say or are not being honest with him
With Carlos Moya , Nadal has improved his serve, shortened the rallies and play closer to the baseline, i do not know why you say he has not.
Guys everyone stp negative thinking.
Never know, maybe 10 days rest and Rafa will bounce back and win the FO.
Lets not get negative, today pained us all. I felt like killing myself, just when it starts to get back….the injury again…..
No….ill live and so will Rafa and so will Rafas indomitable spirit. Hes lived though it all.
Rafa, retirement is inevitable. but you still have time. I think at least 2 years more, 3 more FOs
If you thought of retirement last year you would never have made 21 GS.
Just…..get fit Ignore the match practice part, you got a bit, it may be enough, Get past the pain and go for it.
Gut feeling, if you recover, youll still win the FO.
Remember, winning the FO is an achievement for others, But for you it is normal.
Kevin, thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you Kevin
God bless you
Come on champ as it’s your say you are always playing with injury. So once again give it all and beat everyone and win RG for us Rafans….I so much want you to win now…. vamos Rafa
Wow that’s a bit extreme Kevin, to have suicidal thoughts because Rafa loses!
Anyway we are all in the same boat here, willing Rafa on to win the next tournament.
Don’t get negative on yourself buddy… We’re all in this together, win or lose, Rafa is always our champion. I remember saying to myself at the AO final when he was 2 sets down, if Rafa wins this, I’ll be content if he doesn’t win anything else the rest of the season. So really, now I must be content:)
I’m sure hoping though that Rafa gets into gear at the FO and kicks @$$!! But his health should always come first.
There’s one thing RAFA’s fans can try! Ask the Healer of all time – Jesus to heal all his injuries. It takes faith!
Rafa is incomparable & a genius problem solver. He played a perfect first set . Later Denis fought back but Rafa was in with a chance till the end of 2nd set . He will find a way at RG !! Doc will help no doubt . Tough luck for our champ !! Fab Rafa
[…] it has come back again to haunt him ahead of the French Open. Speaking about his foot injury, Rafa said, “First thing that I need to do is to don’t have pain to practice, that’s it. And the […]
I feel just terrible for Rafa!!!!
Pray for some kind of miracle!!!
Rafa you’ve got the love, support, and prayers from aaaall your fans from all over the world. May it be of great help. We wish for you to be happy and healthy once again.
Love you!
🍀🍀🍀❤️❤️❤️😘😘😘🙏🙏🙏
Hé needs to adapt standing closer to the baseline returning and hitting the Ball. Also his serve is not dominante enough i dont understand why hé wouldnt hired a serve specialist like djokovic did. It woukd give him a lot if free points also play more serve and volley instead of playing long rallies
Marijnt, I agree with you. His sore foot is doing far too much work.
Rafa will play and give it his all . I am concerned that his serve is not dominating and it’s causing him to have to play longer points which will aggravate his foot . Just wish the serve was at his highest level and that he would try to play service returns closer to the baseline . It would improve Rafa’s chances of dominating his opponents as we are used to .
Guys, having pain in a foot hinders serve because you can’t push off as you need to create power. He is not choosing to have a weaker serve! At the beginning of the year when his foot was not as bad, he was serving very well. No foot, no player.
I agree with Wendy…Rafa has critiqued his serve & before the foot flared up he was serving aces a lot more than he used to. It would help if he didn’t use that foot as much but that’s the foot he is used to using.I don’t play tennis but that seems like a difficult task to change his foot work( not saying it can’t be done) When he is experiencing pain in that foot of course it’s going to hinder his serve. None of Rafa’s fans want to see him retire but most are concerned about his health & well being for his future.
Before Nadal usually gets injured once a year. Then it becomes twice a year. Now it has become 3 time a year. Next year, it might not be 4 times a year but retirement.
Honestly all I want is for Rafa to be alright. He’s a champion no matter what. His health matters first and I’m sure he understands that. Prayers to Nadal and his incredible team. Long reign the king of Clay.
Best wishes going forward, Rafa, with you always no matter what.❤️
Vamos RAFA!
“Rafael Nadal Hints at Retirement….” is the headline of a Sky Sports article in which Rafa says he plays to be happy but sometimes the pain takes away that happiness.
“Let’s see how long I can keep going or until my head tells me otherwise…..There will be a moment where my head will ask me to stop because I cannot keep going, not just thinking about tennis, but thinking about normal life. That’s my reality.”
Clearly if Rafa loses the passionate and joy in tennis because of the pain then it’s the day to call time. Only he knows.
Breaks my heart to see him down like this. I still haven’t ever heard what exactly is wrong with his foot. I’ve had both feet reconstructed (former runner) and cannot understand what condition he has that is not treatable. Not doubting HIM – thinking he needs more input by other medical professionals. Regardless, I pray he gets through this moment and cam practice at 100% like he wants so he can trust his body. WE love you and want the best always for you, Rafa!!
Jill- Rafa has Mueller-Weiss Syndrome. His foot can be surgically repaired so that he could walk without pain. However he would not be able to run or make other tennis movements which is the reason he does not have the surgery.
Sorry! Didn’t see David’s post! I too wonder why his foot couldn’t be fixed with
Surgery… However from I have read about Mueller Weiss syndrome is that the bone disintegrates & can’t be repaired. It is a very rare condition & it’s painful. With the way that Rafa uses his foot work in tennis it only aggravates the condition. I don’t know what they did with surgery but Rafa says he continues to be in pain all the time.😔
He had the surgery in 2021
Jill…Rafa has a condition called Mueller Weiss syndrome… it is a deformity of a bone in his foot which is responsible for bending the foot… There is no cure for it … He also has chronic tendinitis in his knees so it’s a miracle that he has done this well. If you Google Rafael Nadal‘s conditions a doctor will explain in detail & help you understand what Rafa is going through! I would love to see Rafa play for a few more years as I can’t
Imagine tennis without him. Tennis will go on but for sure will never be the same without our beloved Rafa! We will just have to remember all the joy & entertainment he has given us throughout the years!
Rafa- had treatment in 2021, a procedure. He did not have the surgery that would have resolved the problem of the pain.
All the best Rafa. We are all with you❤️
Honestly I don’t know how to understand it sounds very painful ! Only himself knows what he is going through it breaks my heart
Having the doctor there seems sensible. It’s so sad that so many careers are blighted by injury. But people were writing him off at the end of last year, and look what happened in Melbourne. Fingers crossed.
Rafa is a fighter, he leaves no stone unturned, takes nothing and no one for granted and leaves everything on the court. That is why I have loved his game as a fan and all I’m going to say is thank you Rafa for everything so far, thank you for all the memories you have given us and God willing will countinue to give us for whatever time you have left in your career. Wishing you a speedy recovery and whatever is best for you in your life and career.
We are with you in your fight, Rafa. Tired of these questions; we can only imagine how you feel.
Best of luck-we will never give up either💪👏👍🤛🍀🎾❤️
If I had a foot problem like that, I would definitely have a doctor close by. Just in chance. Even if this was a loss to him, he always bounces back. He’s a fighter, not a quitter. That’s why I became a fan of him in the first place.
VAMOS RAFA no 1 always.
Wish him a speedy recovery for RG no 14.