Roland Garros ended up in the hands of Rafael Nadal for the 14th time, a monstrous record that speaks volumes about the greatness of the Spaniard. The former world number 1 won his favorite tournament despite the pain in his foot, which had tormented him last season and which had returned to be felt during the BNL Internationals of Italy.
By conquering the first two majors of 2022, the Iberian phenomenon has stretched over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the all-time ranking. The Serbian will only have Wimbledon available to close the gap, given that he will hardly be able to fly to New York to compete in the US Open.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion, for his part, will undergo a new foot treatment in the hope of being able to compete in the Championships. Meanwhile, Rafa’s undertaking in Paris has sparked a myriad of reactions in every corner of the globe.
Hardly anyone expected such a ride from the 36-year-old from Manacor, especially after premature eliminations in Madrid and Rome. To the microphones of ‘We Love Tennis’, Jean-René Lisnard wanted to pay homage to Nadal.
Lisnard pays tribute to Nadal
“Even if it’s not the first time Rafael Nadal has won (laughs), it’s a beautiful symbol. Nadal embodies essential values to succeed at the top level. It’s no surprise but he’s on his way to becoming the greatest sportsman of all time.
Afterwards, it must be admitted that this final against Ruud was not one. For me, the real final was the duel against Novak, but hey, you also have to accept the vagaries of the table. Now I am also eager to see if someone like Alcaraz will take over as time is running out for Nadal” – Lisnard stated.
In a recent interview with ATP, Nadal was asked if he reckons post-tennis life is more appealing given the pain he is suffering at the moment. “I imagine it as I have experienced it many times in my career when I have been out of competition due to injuries.
It’s not something that makes me lose sleep, nor do I have any fear of my life after tennis,” Rafael Nadal said. “I have many things that make me happy. If I want, I will be able to get rid of the pain in my foot in an almost definitive way.
For that I have to do an operation to fix my foot, and that would mean not being able to continue playing. You have control of the foot, but no sensitivity. There might be a little more risk when it comes to twisting an ankle.
Just as I am playing, with my foot asleep, it doesn’t matter if there is less sensitivity because I go from being lame to being without pain.”
