‘I am very “sad and worried” about Rafael Nadal’s injury, his body is getting older and has taken a beating’: Mats Wilander
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Rafael Nadal
20-time Grand Slam Rafael Nadal recently announced that he will be cutting short his 2021 season by skipping remaining tournaments for the year. The Spaniard who has been bothered by a foot injury at the French Open, even missed the Wimbledon Championships and Tokyo Olympics.
Although the King of Clay did return to the tour at the Citi Open in Washington for the North American hard court season, he kept complaining about the discomfort and pain in his foot.
While we wait for the return of Nadal in 2022, seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander expressed his concern for the Spanish champion.
“I am very sad and very worried but I do think he [will] keep coming back until he no longer can,” Wilander told Eurosport. “At the moment the will to play is still there. The era of winning may be over, but the era of filling stands with fans is still alive. There’s a couple more years of it.”
The legendary Swede further opined that frequent injuries have taken a toll on the former World No.1’s body. Over the years, the 35-year-old has often skipped the second part of the season due to various injury troubles.
“We are getting used to expecting him to not be able to play. He is always trying and is always ready. He is trying but he just can’t do it and I guess with every year it seems like he’s playing less and less. He is getting older and his body is taking a beating.”
Nadal-Roland Garros relationship to continue
The 57-year-old also opined that while 13-time winner Nadal will have his chances at the French Open, the probability of winning the whole thing might drop.
“It might be the end of winning Grand Slam tournaments, but with Rafa and Roland Garros and the love affair he has over there, you can never say it is the end of that relationship until the day he has hung his rackets on the wall,” Wilander said.
By skipping major tournaments for the year, Nadal has already dropped to No. 5 in the rankings and could well slip further before the season draws to a close.
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Vivek Krishnan
(767 Articles Published)