Tennis fans are mulling over Rafael Nadal's fitness after he was spotted with a compression sock on his leg while in Rome.
Nadal has arrived at the Italian Open and held his first practice session at the Foro Italico with the intention of playing in the tournament. Although he made over 200 spots in the rankings, the 10-time Rome champion will enter the main draw with a protected ranking.
Rome is where the world's top tennis stars will assemble for the next two weeks to compete in the last big tournament before Roland Garros. Nadal will decide whether to play at the French Open only after he is able to assess his level of fitness and competitiveness in Italy.
But a recent video shared by the tournament on its official X account (formerly Twitter) has ignited concerns that the Spaniard might be carrying a fresh injury.
Nadal can be seen with a full compression sock on his right leg, presumably being escorted to the practice courts by security officials. He nodded and waved to some of the fans who had patiently waited to see his return to Italy after a two-year absence.
It is pertinent to note that Nadal was not wearing the leg stocking in his first practice session on Saturday. It will be interesting to hear him from his pre-tournament press conference if there is any developing injury.
Nadal is the most decorated player in Italian Open history, with ten titles. He lifted his first trophy on debut back in 2005. On the eight occasions he won in Rome, he also won the French Open.
But in 2022, he didn't have a great week when he lost to Denis Shapovalov in the round of 16, but he defied the odds and hoisted his 22nd Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
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