Rafael Nadal
Photo: AFP
Just two days after his 14th French Open win, Rafael Nadal has been in Spain to take care of his chronic left foot pain.
The 36-year-old tennis superstar underwent "pulsed radiofrequency therapy" in Barcelona on Tuesday, the Europa Press news agency and Spanish media reported, citing circles from Nadal's support team.
The affected foot nerves would be numbed with this treatment and could no longer transmit the pain stimulus to the brain, it said.
The Spaniard had had injections against the complaints in Paris before each of his seven games.
He also revealed he was on anti-inflammatories throughout the tournament at the Bois de Boulogne.
But that can't be a permanent solution, he said.
At the tournament in Wimbledon, which begins in just over three weeks, Nadal definitely does not want to repeat the procedure in Paris.
His participation in the lawn classic is therefore still questionable.
Second therapy session not excluded
After the treatment in Barcelona, Nadal reportedly flew home immediately.
In Manacor, Mallorca, he wants to spend three or four days recovering from the hardships in Paris.
He then wants to resume training – but only if the therapy carried out in Barcelona should have worked by then.
A return to Barcelona for a second therapy session next week is not ruled out, it said.
Nadal has often struggled with injuries in the past.
Before his comeback in January at the Australian Open, there was even a possible end to his career.
It has also been known for years that the Spaniard suffers from the so-called Müller-Weiss syndrome.
This is a rare condition in which bone tissue of the scaphoid bone in the foot skeleton dies.
The syndrome cannot be cured, the painful symptoms can only be alleviated.
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Now the fourth in the world rankings still has the chance to win the third Grand Slam tournament of the year.
He had only done so once in his career: in 2010 he won the French Open and Wimbledon as well as the US Open in a row.
He currently has 22 Grand Slam successes.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer follow with 20.
bam/dpa