Rafael Nadal has declared himself 'happy' with his fitness as he continues his bid to secure a calendar Grand Slam at Wimbledon next week.
Nadal, 36, has defied injury problems to enjoy a fairytale year so far, winning the Australian Open just weeks after returning from a foot problem that curtailed his 2021 season. But his form was halted during his final defeat to Taylor Fritz at Indian Wells, confirming afterwards he'd suffered a stress fracture to his rib.
That made for hampered preparation for the French Open, but the 'King of Clay' prevailed for the 14th time at Roland Garros, beating Casper Ruud to claim his 22nd Grand Slam crown. During the tournament, the problems with his left foot resurfaced, with Nadal needing regular injections to numb the pain.
It cast doubt on his participation at SW19, but two days before his first round match with Argentinian player Francisco Cerundolo, the Mallorca man told reporters the situation had improved. However, he was cautious as to whether the pain relief would prove short-term.
“It’s obvious that, if I am here, it’s because things are going better,” said Nadal, via Tennis365. “If not, I would not be here. So I’m quite happy about things, how they evolved.
"I can’t be super happy because I don’t know what can happen. But I only can speak about the feelings that I am having in the last two weeks."
Nadal had previously admitted to struggling on a daily basis, but revealed recent treatment and improved his mobility: “There are a couple of things that are so important for me," he added. "First of all, I can walk normally most of the days, almost every single day. That’s for me the main issue.
“When I wake up, I don’t have this pain that I was having for the last year and a half, so I’m quite happy about that. And the second thing, practising. I have been overall better. Since the last two weeks, I didn’t have one day of these terrible days that I can’t move at all.”
Whilst admitting no treatment could "fix the injury," Nadal's focus will now be on becoming the first male player to complete a calendar Slam since Rod Laver in 1969. Laver also achieved the feat in 1962, with Don Budge the only other player to achieve the honour in 1938.
Should he prevail at SW19, it will be his third tournament win. He famously beat Roger Federer in five sets in 2008, and overcame Tomas Berdych to win a second crown two years later.
His path to glory this time around could mean a semi-final clash with the in-form Matteo Berrettini. Should he beat the Italian, it is Novak Djokovic who will form his likely final opponent.
The Serbian will get things underway on Monday when he faces South Korean player Kwon Soon-woo on Centre Court. And Djokovic will be hell-bent on reducing the gap in Slam wins to Nadal, as he now trails his record-breaking rival by two.
