“I had really bad times” Rafael Nadal confesses about the toll that the lockdown took on him
To no one’s surprise, Rafael Nadal lifted the French Open 2020 title by defeating World No.1 Novak Djokovic in the finals. This addition made his career Grand Slam total to 20, equalling that of Roger Federer’s. Nadal didn’t drop a single set at this year’s rendition of the Roland Garros. This was only the second tournament of the Spaniard since the ATP Tour was suspended due to the coronavirus crisis (from the month of March).
Nadal decided not to defend his US Open title in September. This heightened speculation was that ‘he struggling to get back up to speed and did not want any hindrances in the path of his Roland Garros run’.
On his decision to not try to back his Grand Slam win in New York, Rafa said, “We had to make tough decisions like not going to New York. It’s all good or bad based on the final result. Now everyone seems to have been successful because I won at Roland Garros. But if I had lost maybe it wouldn’t have been like that. This is the reality of sport, a world based totally on its results.”
I suffered a lot more from the bubble: Rafael Nadal
During his interview with reporters in Paris, Nadal has opened up about the effect on his body that the lockdown had.
“On a personal level after the Lockdown I had really bad times. My body did not respond in the best possible way during the pandemic. I had days where I could train very little. I had painful sensations throughout my body,” Nadal said.
This season, a number of events were cancelled. It was unofficially accepted that sports will not be back this calendar year. As per this, athletes didn’t have any clarity as to how long they’ll have to prepare for in such a haphazard manner.
Citing this, Rafa concluded with, “Also I had to do a workout without clear goals and this aggravated all my problems. Compared to my team, I suffered a lot more from the bubble. I am a person who prefers to be with people. For me it is a bit more difficult. The days seemed really long for me.”
Chhavi Jindal
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