Rafael Nadal won the first two Grand Slams of 2022, confirming for the umpteenth time that he is a special athlete. The Spanish champion had just played seven official tournaments last year, leading many experts to believe that his career was now winding down.
Arriving in Australia without great expectations, the former world number 1 achieved a memorable ride that allowed him to win his second title at Melbourne Park. The extraordinary comeback against Daniil Medvedev in the final left everyone speechless, arousing reactions in every corner of the planet.
The 36-year-old from Manacor has won his first 20 games this year before returning to deal with injuries. A stress fracture in a rib and pain in his foot seemed to have knocked him out ahead of Roland Garros, but Nadal has proven he has a thousand lives.
Thanks to a series of infiltrations and the help of his doctor, the Iberian won the French Grand Slam for the 14th time in his career. During an interview with ‘Noticias’, Francisco Roig analyzed Rafa’s condition in detail.
Roig opens up on Rafa Nadal
“Rafael Nadal’s problems worsen with the cold. But she (doctor) hopes the new pain relief treatment will work. We will have to wait. I think it’s 2 or 3 sessions and Rafa will be delighted, so will we.
He will live painlessly for a while,” Roig said. “We were locked up for a while and not exercising goes against him. Since then he has had more problems.” The former player also revealed that the 14-time French Open champion often has to abandon training due to an incredible amount of pain.
“He can’t train, have to train for 20 minutes and quit,” Roig said. Former Los Angeles Lakers star Pau Gasol recently met Rafael Nadal in Barcelona. “The injury is complex and goes beyond healthy habits. You have to be patient ,” he said.
Gasol also expressed hope for his “friend” to find a way past his injury to compete and also live a healthier life. “Rafa matters to me as a friend. I hope he can solve the injury, not only to continue competing, but for his quality of life.
We talk about health.” In the recently concluded French Open, Novak Djokovic failed to defend his title. The Serb went down against Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of the tournament. Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev moved up a place to become the second-best player in the world in men’s singles. French Open 2022 champion, Rafael Nadal, occupies the fourth spot.