Rafael Nadal has admitted he will need a doctor with him at the French Open. Just a fortnight after returning from a rib injury, the great Spaniard’s chronic foot problem flared up during Thursday’s match with Denis Shapovalov.
After convincingly winning the first set 6-1, the world number four lost sets two and three 5-7, 2-6 and hobbled to an early exit in Rome. Despite the concerns surrounding his fitness, Nadal remains hopeful regarding his chances of regaining his Roland Garros crown and a medic will accompany him as he targets a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam.
“First thing that I need to do is to [not] have pain to practise, that's it… It's true that during the French Open, Roland Garros, I’m going to have my doctor there with me. That sometimes helps because you can do things,” Nadal said post-match. “In the positive days and in the negative days, you need to stay and to value all the things that happened to me in a positive way.
