Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts after winning the men's singles final match against Russia's Daniil Medvedev on day fourteen of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 31, 2022. - -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by MARTIN KEEP/AFP via Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal admitted that his injured foot troubled him during his 7-6, 7-6 win against Reilly Opelka at the Indian Wells
Rafael Nadal has revealed in his post-match press conference that he is not a 100% and has to deal with a recurring foot issue. Nadal had no trouble overcoming Reilly Opelka in straight sets at the Indian Wells however he did so with a troubling foot injury which got “worse in the second set.” The Spaniard is now set to face Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in the quarter-final.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Nadal clarified the condition of his injured foot. “So-so. For a moment, good. Then during the second set a little bit worse, being honest. I felt my foot a little bit on the second set but I was able to keep going”, said Nadal explaining the issues he faced with his foot during the match.
The World No. 4 further added, “I am just very happy to be playing tennis. Today was a little bit worst than other days. It’s true that the last couple of days the foot has been bothering me a bit more. Just trying to be ready and stay positive because this is going to be my last tournament on hard court. After this we’re going back to clay – that helps a little bit more.”
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Miami Open, a tournament he last played in 2017. The Spaniard, a 5-time Miami Open finalist has a lot of fans in Florida and he will definitely be missed. It is understood Nadal has withdrawn from the tournament to give himself more time to prepare for the clay-court season. The Roland Garros is just two months away and Nadal will definitely look to ensure he stays on the top of his game in Paris, aiming to win a record 22nd Grand Slam title.
Nadal has had a busy 2022 so far. He has played 3 tournaments since the start of the season and is currently playing in his fourth event. Nadal is in top form and has won all the previous tournaments he played in – the Melbourne Open a warm-up event, the Australian Open and the Mexican Open.
The World No. 4 will be looking to manage his workload for the rest of the year. He is 35 now and not getting any younger, so playing top-level tournaments without breaks is definitely a challenge that he will have to negate. Nadal’s withdrawal from the Miami Open means he will get a good break before the clay season begins. The Spaniard has never won the Miami Masters and that’s not changing for at least one more year.
The hectic schedule or the foot injury hasn’t affected Nadal’s performances though. Rafael Nadal has made his best-ever start to a season and will go into his quarter-final match at the Indian Wells with an 18-0 win record this year.
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