Nadal confirms intention to play at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal confirmed on Friday that he intends to play at Wimbledon for the first time in three years.

Nadal, who won his 14th French Open title earlier this month, will attempt to win a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title at the All England Club this year.

The 36-year-old has Mueller-Weiss syndrome, which causes chronic pain in his foot. The world No. 4 said at Roland Garros that he had been undergoing frequent injections into a nerve to numb the pain but was set to visit a specialist to undergo a fresh procedure — a radiofrequency nerve ablation — and would not play at Wimbledon if it was not successful.

But in a news conference in Mallorca, after a week of training on grass, Nadal confirmed his intentions to compete at the Grand Slam.

“[The medical treatment] done in Barcelona is not a 100% immediate thing, but changes are noticeable,” Nadal said. “I have noticed them, strange sensations, my joint pain has decreased.

“My intention is to play Wimbledon, to travel to London on Monday.”

Nadal last played at Wimbledon in 2019, where he lost in the semifinals to Roger Federer. He is a two-time singles champion at the All England Club, winning in 2008 and 2010.

The 2022 Australian and French Open champion still has concerns over his foot injury and added that although he intends to enter the competition, “it is too early to give a definitive answer.”

“My foot situation must be evaluated day after day, so at this moment I don’t have this certainty of being able to play. I just know that I want to play the tournament, but we must also be careful.

“In the first days I had complicated feelings, day after day I got better. One more week of training in London and I hope to be able to play at Wimbledon and to be competitive to do so.”

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