A small step for Rafael Nadal, a big step towards Wimbledon? Two weeks before the London Grand Slam, it is not yet known whether the recent winner of Roland-Garros will be able to line up to conquer a 23rd major title. But the Spaniard in any case found his way back to the courts this Monday morning on the natural grass facilities of the Santa Ponça Country Club in Mallorca, which will host an ATP 250 event in a few days. And where the company responsible for maintenance is the same as that of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club…
The Majorcan’s session took place out of sight to test the effectiveness of the treatments he underwent last week in Barcelona, upon his return from Paris. The left-hander from Manacor underwent pulsed radiofrequency treatment on the nerves of his left foot affected by Muller-Weiss syndrome (a neurodegenerative disease that affects the bones of the foot) in order to alleviate the chronic pain that handicaps him. He then took a few days off and took advantage of his presence at home to preside over the graduation ceremony for the students of his academy.
For Nadal, 36, there is no longer any question of resorting to the infiltrations of anesthetics that he inflicted on himself before each match at Roland-Garros and which led him to play the Paris fortnight with his left foot asleep on the short and extremely painful outside. If the treatment offered by the Teknon clinic in Barcelona does not bear fruit, the Iberian will undoubtedly have to think about an operation which would mean the end of his career.
For his uncle as a former coach Toni, omnipresent in the media in recent days, Nadal is “much better” and will play in London. Which would be almost a small event because the only Major winner of the year (Melbourne and Paris) has not set foot in the west of the English capital (where he won in 2008 and 2010) since three years.