"Two weeks ago I did not know if I will have a chance to be here so today I cannot be thinking about winning all four Grand Slams" - Rafael Nadal on his return to Wimbledon
Rafael Nadal is returning to Wimbledon after three years. The two-time champion underwent treatment on his left foot to be able to participate at the grasscourt Major. Nadal is seeded second at the Grand Slam, while Novak Djokovic is the top seed.
World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev will not participate due to a ban on Russian and Belarusian players and World No. 2 Alexander Zverev is recovering from an injury he suffered at the French Open. Nadal collected his 14th Roland Garros crown and 22nd Grand Slam title earlier this month.
During an interview before the start of the British Major, Nadal was realistic about his chances and expressed happiness about returning to SW19.
"To have the chance to be here after three years, two weeks ago I did not know if I will have a chance to be here so today I cannot be thinking about winning all four Grand Slams in one year," he said. "Nobody did in the Open Era so probably I will not be the first. That is my real thinking and I go day by day. Happy to enjoy one more time in Wimbledon."
"I'm just working as hard as I can"
Rafael Nadal said he is taking it 'day by day' after not knowing if he was going to be able to play at Wimbledon this year but is happy to enjoy playing at The Championships again 👇 https://t.co/rPlgoIwUr1
Nadal admitted that not having competed at Wimbledon for three years was a "negative," but said he was working as hard as possible to give himself the best chance at the British Major.
"The negative thing is I was not able to play here for the last three years. So I am just working as hard as I can and the best way possible to give myself or put myself in a competitive position," he said.
"When I wake up, I don't have this pain that I was having for the last year and a half" - Rafael Nadal on his injury condition
Rafael Nadal suffers from Mueller-Weiss Syndrome, a rare condition which causes chronic pain in his left foot. He numbed the injury at Roland Garros through the use of injections to allow him to compete.
After the French Open, Nadal underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment, a procedure in which a radio wave produces an electrical current to heat a specific area of the nerve tissue. The treatment seems to have been effective enough to enable Nadal to compete at Wimbledon.
During an interview with ESPN, the Spaniard said he was "quite happy" with how the procedure went but was still uncertain about the future.
"Well, (it) is obvious that if I am here, it's because things are going better. If not, I would not be here. So, quite happy about the things, how (they have) evolved. I can't be super happy because I don't know what can happen. But I only can speak about the feelings that I am having the last two weeks," Nadal said.
Rafael Nadal has had enough of the questions about his injury and wants to focus on Tennis now 💪
#RafaelNadal #Wimbledon #Tennis https://t.co/uTlht1pPaN
Rafael Nadal said he can now walk normally and not wake up in pain anymore, which he was happy about.
"There is a couple of things that are so important for me, no? First of all, I can walk normal (for) most of the days, almost every single day. That's for me the main issue. When I wake up, I don't have this pain that I was having for the last year and a half, so quite happy about that," he said.
Also Check Out :-Wimbledon 2022 Results