MY ACCOUNT
Rafael Nadal says he will play at Wimbledon if his body allows him to after winning a record-extending 14th French Open title on Sunday.
The legendary Spaniard has now won two more majors than Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after taking his astonishing haul to 22 with a 6-3 6-3 6-0 defeat of Casper Ruud at Roland Garros.
Nadal’s latest triumph was achieved despite the 36-year-old having anaesthetic injections on his nerves that left his foot “asleep.”
The Mallorca native revealed he was barely able to walk after beating Corentin Moutet in the second round of his favourite tournament in Paris.
Nadal says he was given a couple of injections before every match and will undergo radio frequency injections in a bid to ensure he can go in search of a third major title of the year at the All England Club.
The record-breaking Nadal is not sure if he would want to undergo a major operation to prolong his career, but hopes to be able to be in London when Wimbledon starts on June 27.
He said: “I’m going to be in Wimbledon if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon. That’s it. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss.
“I think nobody wants to miss Wimbledon. I love Wimbledon. I had a lot of success there. I have lived amazing emotions there. So full credit and respect to the tournament.
“A player like me, I am always ready to play Wimbledon. So if you ask me if I will be in Wimbledon, I can’t give you a clear answer. If I want to win Wimbledon, of course. Let’s see how the treatment works.
“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about how many injections I had, because as you can imagine, I had to take a lot of anti-inflammatories too. But before every single match I had to do a couple of injections.”
Nadal has ruled out putting himself through the same treatment during Wimbledon that he underwent during his latest glorious run in Paris.
He added: “Wimbledon is a priority, always has been a priority. If I am able to play with anti-inflammatories, yes; to play with anaesthetic injections, no.
“I don’t want to put myself in that position again. It can happen once, but it is not a philosophy of life that I want to follow. So let’s see.
“I am always a positive guy, and I am always expect the things going the right way. So let’s be confident, and let’s be positive. Then let’s see what’s going on.”
