Did we see Rafael Nadal for the last time at Roland-Garros on June 5? He did not say so on the podium when the Mousquetaires Cup was awarded, promising to do everything to continue. He also did not reveal his intentions after the final to the media around the world. The Spaniard first wants to savor his 14th triumph at Porte d’Auteuil and his 22nd Grand Slam coronation which make him, to date, the greatest player of all time. The numbers are indisputable.
How do you feel after this new triumph?
Rafael Nadal. To have this trophy by my side once again is very moving. This is my most unexpected victory here in Paris. I am very happy. My fortnight was great. I improved every day and played a good final.
Have you made a decision for your future?
The days before Roland-Garros, I didn’t want to continue because of the pain in my foot. Today, my state of mind is clear: I will work to find a solution to what is going on in my foot.
And what’s going on in your foot?
I didn’t want to talk about that during the tournament out of respect for my opponents. Now I can. I will admit that I played in extreme conditions. I had nerve injections to cut the pain in my foot. I played with no feeling in my left foot. My doctor injected me with an anesthetic and I couldn’t feel anything. I took the risk of injuring my ankle which I no longer felt at all. Why did I do it? Roland-Garros is important to me and these injections were the only way I could play here.
How many have you suffered during the fortnight?
I can’t give you the number, but I can tell you that I took lots and lots of anti-inflammatories.
Will you take this risk of playing under injection in the future?
No, I will not go to Wimbledon for example to play under the same conditions. I can no longer play with a sleeping foot. A solution must be found.
What are you going to do to heal yourself?
I’m going to have tests this week and see if we can shut off the painful sensations in the nerves of my foot. We’re going to treat him with radio frequency to neutralize what hurts me so much. It’s the next step in my career and we’ll see if it works out. I remain positive, but I am not sure of the result.
What will you do if the result is negative and the pain is still there?
If these treatments work, I’ll keep playing. If that doesn’t work, that’ll be another story. I will then ask myself the question of whether I am ready for a major surgery which will take time without giving me the guarantee that I will be able to regain my level.
Is it worth taking so many risks for the rest of your life?
What I have in my foot will not be worse in the rest of my life, but I run the risk of having other problems related to these pains. It’s a risk I took wanting to play here, but it’s a risk I don’t want to take for the grass season. My position is that life is more important than another title. My career has been my priority, but not compared to my happiness in life.
What still makes you take these risks?
The idea is not to be the best in history. I’m here because I love competition, playing in the biggest stadiums in the world. Novak, Roger and I achieved our dreams and I don’t have to compete with them anymore. If I’m not competitive anymore, I’m not going to have fun anymore and so…