Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal receives treatment on his foot during his US Open semifinal match against Russian Mikhail Youzhny on September 11, 2010 in New York. AFP PHOTO/Emmanuel Dunand (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal couldn’t play the 2021 season properly due to a foot problem but did he undergo foot surgery?
Rafael Nadal won the 2022 Australian Open despite a niggling foot injury that cut short his 2021 season. However, the Spanish ace didn’t undergo surgery and relied on some other form of treatment.
Tennis players often pick up injuries due to the intensity of the sport. That is especially true for players like Nadal who put a lot more stress on their bodies while running around the court.
The Spaniard has had injury issues throughout his career but a niggling left foot injury seemed set to almost end his career.
In 2021, Nadal could not participate in the US Open due to an injury. There were fears he would never play again and undergo surgery as well.
However, Nadal confirmed that he had undergone some form of treatment in 2021 and needed a few days off.
This update came in September and it seems that the Spaniard is back to his best. He also missed the Olympics in 2021 and Wimbledon due to a lower back issue. Nadal also cited scheduling issues that ruled him out from the two competitions.
While it was an emotional night in the Australian Open final where Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev, this was a reminder of just how far the Spaniard has come.
Nadal was two sets down and close to losing the third set too when he put on a vintage display to beat the Russian.
The foot problem seemed like a thing of the past as Nadal ran rings around the Russian and picked up the final three sets for his 21st Grand Slam.
However, the Spaniard had to deal with this niggling foot issue ever since he made it big on the tennis courts. The foot problem was diagnosed for the Spaniard in 2005 and Nadal has confirmed he has tried different methods to fix the issue.
The foot injury has flared up several times over the course of the Spaniard’s career, and it will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming weeks.
Nadal is 35 at the moment and doesn’t have too many years of top-level tennis left in him. Hopefully, he stays injury-free and continues wowing fans on the tennis courts.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates
