‘Don’t want to keep going’: Rafael Nadal makes worrying revelation after French Open win

As tennis celebrated Rafael Nadal’s 14th French Open win, the Spaniard cast a cloud over his future with a worrying revelation.

Rafael Nadal said he cannot keep playing if he has to keep having his troublesome foot numbed, admitting “I can’t keep going like this, but I am working to find a solution”.

Nadal captured a 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam title with a straight sets win over Casper Ruud at Roland Garros on Monday (AEST) but said his future in the sport remains in doubt.

Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

“It’s obvious that with circumstances that I am playing, I can’t and I don’t want to keep going, so the mindset is very clear. I’m going to keep working to try to find a solution and an improvement for what’s happening in the foot,” said the 36-year-old.

Nadal revealed he needed pain-killing injections in his left foot before every match in Paris and will undergo treatment again this week back in Spain.

“If it works, I keep going. If not, it will be another story and I will ask myself if I am ready to do a major surgery which may not guarantee I will be competitive and may take a long time to be back,” he added.

Nadal said that taking anaesthetic injections in the nerves in his foot was the only way he could have got through the tournament.

Now he and his medical team will employ a technique which will burn the nerve using what he described as “radio frequency injections” to “sleep the two nerves”.

He’s still the king of clay. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

There was speculation after Nadal’s epic quarter-final win over Novak Djokovic the Spaniard would announce this would be his last French Open, given how much pain he’s been in. But as everyone waited with bated breath during his post-match speech, Nadal kept a glimmer of hope he could continue delighting tennis fans around the world.

By not announcing retirement he answered the question on everyone’s lips, but his future remains murky.

Nadal said he intends to play Wimbledon, where he is a two-time champion, and which gets underway in just three weeks’ time.

“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,” he said.

“I love Wimbledon. So if you ask me if I will be in Wimbledon, I can’t give you a clear answer. Let’s see how the treatment works.”

If the treatment works and he can survive with anti-inflammatories and not anaesthetic, he will be at the All England Club, having sat out the tournament last year. But if that doesn’t solve the issue with pain in his foot, Nadal may be absent from the world’s most famous grass court tournament.

“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.”

Rafa not saying « see you next year », says he doesn’t know what can happen in the future but he’s going to keep trying fighting.

— Carole Bouchard 💜💛 (@carole_bouchard) June 5, 2022

In a disappointingly one-sided final, Nadal’s rout of Ruud came 17 years to the day since he claimed his first French Open as a 19-year-old in 2005.

Nadal won the last 11 games of the final and is now two slams ahead of old rivals Djokovic and Roger Federer — who both have 20 major trophies.

Nadal’s two-hour, 18-minute romp took his record at Roland Garros to 112 wins against just three losses and also put him halfway to a calendar men’s Grand Slam last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969.

“The most important thing is to congratulate Rafa,” said Ruud. “You are a true champion. This is the first time I have faced you so now I know what it’s like to be the victim! There will be many others.

“You have taken me into your academy with open arms and you are a true inspiration to me. We all hope you continue for some more time.”

Nadal could barely believe it. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Nadal, unbeaten in 13 previous finals in Paris and playing in his 30th Grand Slam decider, got off to a flying start against Ruud, the first Norwegian man to feature in a championship match at the majors.

He broke for 2-0 and even though he handed the break straight back courtesy of a two uncharacteristic double faults, he was quickly back in front again for 3-1.

The Spaniard wrapped up the opener in 49 minutes against his 23-year-old opponent who has trained at his academy in Manacor since 2018.

World number eight Ruud, the in-form player on clay since the start of 2020 with 66 wins on the surface, was under siege again in the second set, having to fight off three break points in the opening game.

There was a sudden glimmer of hope when he broke for 3-1 with Nadal again coughing up a double fault. However, Nadal roared back with a double break for 4-3.

Ruud saved three set points in the ninth game but his first double fault of the final handed Nadal a two-set lead.

Nadal had said on the eve of the final that he would rather lose Sunday’s match in exchange for a new foot.

However, without needing to hit top gear, he was in complete control against Ruud, racing away to the title with three breaks in a third set which was over in 30 minutes.

Nadal sealed the win with a backhand down the line, his 37th winner of the final.