Rafael Nadal will play Wimbledon this year, says his uncle Toni following a conversation with the 22-time Grand Slam winner.
Nadal has been battling Müller-Weiss-Syndrome, a degenerative condition in his foot that is causing the Spaniard so much pain he needed to have pain-killing injections to get through Roland Garros.
He was able to manage the condition during the French Open, which he won, but immediately said he would not do the same at Wimbledon.
Instead, he underwent a course of radiofrequency therapy designed to dull the pain receptors in the affected area.
His participation in Wimbledon is dependent upon the success of that treatment, but Toni Nadal says things are looking very positive.
“Yes, Rafael plays in Wimbledon,” Toni Nadal said, as quoted by tennisnet.com.
“I talked to him. At first he said: ‘Everything hurts.’ But when we spoke yesterday, he said it was much better.
“He wants to train. And if he has a little chance, he will play at Wimbledon. He goes on the court on Monday.”
Rafael Nadal himself has spoken about how his foot condition is affecting his every day life, with it causing him pain on a regular basis and not just on a tennis court.
However, Toni Nadal says there are no long term concerns, as once he finishes playing there is an operation available to him.
“Later on it’s not a problem, it’s just a problem playing right now,” Toni said.
“If he has an operation, everything is gone. But if he has an operation, he can no longer play at a high level.
“That’s why he doesn’t want to do it. But an operation wouldn’t be an issue otherwise.”
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