“2022 has been a miracle for Rafael Nadal” Amused by the Spaniard’s quick injury recoveries, Alex Corretja discusses if he can win the Calendar Slam this year
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Alex Corretja, Rafael Nadal
Fresh from a long injury hiatus, Rafael Nadal started the year with 20 slams and prior to the beginning of the third major of the season, he is now the owner of 22 Grand Slam titles, a feat matched by no other male player. While he was well-rested at the 2022 Australian Open, his win in the 2022 French Open was completely different as he was limping a couple of weeks ago before the Grand Slam and after his second-round win, he had to take painkillers to numb his foot in order to continue playing.
With only 3 weeks’ time between the French Open and the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, many doubted if Nadal will make the trip to London as he had admitted to not taking any more painkillers and would undergo surgery to look for a solution for his foot. Nevertheless, the Spaniard is confirmed to participate in the Grand Slam in the hopes of winning his third major of the season and also his third career Wimbledon title.
“I feel like only Rafael Nadal can do that”: Alex Corretja
Nadal first faced fitness issues after losing in the finals of the 2022 Indian Wells Masters where he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his rib which delayed his clay season debut. His return to clay was also not completely as per plan as he injured his leg again, an injury that he carried in the French Open and got treated with surgery after winning the major. Speaking about the Spaniard’s run this season, his compatriot and former World No. 2 Alex Corretja gave his thoughts about the same.
“I feel like 2022 for Rafa, it’s a miracle, since the very beginning of the year. After winning the first tournament, then the first Slam, he then got hurt again and he didn’t have that much time for preparation for Roland-Garros. He then ended up winning, and one week later, or two weeks later, I thought, ‘okay, maybe he needs time to rest, he needs time to recover’.
“Again, now, he is ready to go and try to play at Wimbledon. I feel like only Rafa can do that, honestly, because of all the ups and downs physically that he had overcome them. It shows how humble he is, and how much desire he has to keep on going. I don’t think he feels like winning the Calendar Slam; it’s not on his mind.
“He is just going there to practise from the first day, get ready, and probably have the best chance he can for the first round. This is his only goal. Then he will go little by little. This is why Rafa deals very well with these kinds of situations because he knows where he is and he just goes for it, just being realistic,” said Corretja speaking on Eurosport.
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Sarthak Shitole
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