Google News Rafael Nadal: I had doubts about returning every day during my latest injury setback
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 3668
Rafael Nadal admitted he had doubts every single day whether he would be able to make a comeback during his latest injury setbacks. After losing in the French Open semifinal, Nadal skipped Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics due to a foot issue.
Nadal returned to action in Washington, where he was beaten in the round-of-16. In Washington, Nadal realized his foot wasn't where it needed to be so he put an end to his 2021 season. Nadal is undefeated in 2022 as he won the Melbourne Summer Set and on Friday beat Karen Khachanov to make the Australian Open roundof-of-16.
“Every single day. That’s true," Nadal said, when asked by Eurosport presenter Alize Lim whether he had doubts about whether he would ever return."
Nadal went through a difficult process
“For a lot of months sometimes I went on court and was not able to practise more than 20 minutes, on other days for 45.
And then sometimes I was able to practise for two hours," Nadal continued. “It’s been very difficult to predict every single day and I was working with a doctor to try and find a solution. I tried different things but it’s tough.
“Even if I went through that process a couple of times in my career, I always say the same: the injuries are much easier to accept when you know you have a calendar [for your recovery]. “If you twist your ankle or break your wrist, as a I did a couple of times in my career, then you know it’ll be three months.
So you have an agenda and every week you do a different thing. “But with the foot injury, honestly it’s much tougher because you go every day to the gym, on the court, and without an improvement. “And that is mentally much tougher.
I’m very satisfied the way that I approach it. I hold the passion, the work and the spirit and that’s probably why I’m here. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but I’m enjoying every single day”.
