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| Rafa Nadal appeared to be struggling with a foot injury as he lost in the last 16 of the Italian Open to Denis Shapovalov |
Rafa Nadal said that everyday training was a challenge and he would take a doctor with him to Roland Garros after the 21-times major winner was once again hampered by a chronic foot injury in his defeat by Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open on Thursday.
Nadal, who only recently returned from a stress fracture in the ribs, struggled badly at the back end of his match against the Canadian as he went down 1-6 7-5 6-2 in the last-16. Read full story
โI had my foot again with a lot of pain. I am a player living with an injury โ it is nothing new. Itโs something that is there,โ Nadal, a 10-times champion in Rome, told reporters.
โUnfortunately, my day-by-day is difficult, honestly. Even like this, I am trying hardโฆ it can be frustrating that a lot of days I canโt practice the proper way.โ
The 35-year-old missed the bulk of last season due to the foot problem before mounting a remarkable comeback to win the Australian Open in January and also prevailing in Acapulco.
โSince I came back, the foot has been tough,โ added the Spaniard. โNegative thing and toughest thing for me today is honestly I started to feel myself play much better. I started the match playing much better.โ
Nadalโs preparation heading into the French Open, where he will be bidding for a record-extending 14th title, has been far from ideal after he was also knocked out of last weekโs Madrid Open by Carlos Alcaraz at the quarter-finals stage.
โFirst thing that I need to do is to donโt have pain to practiceโฆ itโs true that during the French Open, Roland Garros, I going to have my doctor there with me. That sometimes helps because you can do things,โ said Nadal.
โIn 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.โ
REUTERS
