"I think he'll be there" - Toni Nadal optimistic on Rafa Wimbledon appearance

Thursday, 09 June 2022 at 20:30

Updated at Tuesday, 03 December 2024 at 15:41

bySam Frape

Rafael Nadal is currently on the road to recovery after his latest Wimbledon setback, but his uncle, Toni Nadal, is optimistic about the 2-time champion's chances of playing.

Spotted yesterday in his home island of Mallorca donning crutches, Nadal's Wimbledon preparation is not going as smoothly as he would have wanted with such little time to go before the third Grand Slam of the year.

After undergoing a novel treatment option for his foot pain in Barcelona not long ago, the Spaniard was seen returning to his home island in order to best recover in time for the upcoming tournaments that lie ahead.

Despite not being able to play at the moment and fans not knowing exactly how long the Spaniard will be out of action, his uncle and long-time coach Toni seemed optimistic about his nephew making it back in time for Wimbledon.

While speaking to Eurosport in Spain, he explained that Rafa's participation at Wimbledon depends on the treatment and that he will want to be there if possible.

"Wimbledon starts in less than two weeks, so let’s see if my nephew is there or not. I think that he will be and that the treatment goes well. He wants to take advantage of the good sporting moment that he is going through and that has led him to be the winner of the two Grand Slams."

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Toni then continued to explain how his nephew has, in the past, had to deal with playing with pain and that it is exactly this grit that will get him through.

“He has had to overcome many difficulties and is still there despite having already won many things and being very successful. Since 2005, he has been playing with a lot of pain to the point of sometimes being unable to finish a training session.”