At 36, Rafael Nadal has defied age to prove why he is one of the best tennis players of all time. Yesterday, the Spaniard put on an incredible performance to defeat Casper Ruud in the final of the French Open 2022. In the process, Nadal clinched his 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam title overall.

There is no hiding the fact that Nadal has been troubled by injuries throughout his career. Earlier this year, he missed the Miami Open, Monte Carlos Masters, and the Barcelona Open due to a rib injury. Even at the recently concluded French Open, Nadal had to play with a foot injury that has troubled him for almost his entire career. After his win over Ruud, the Spaniard opened up about his worsening foot condition.

Rafael Nadal talks about his plans for the coming week

During the post-match press conference, the 36-year-old revealed the plans for treatment of his foot injury. He said, “We can try to make a treatment to try create this feeling in a permanent condition. That’s we are planning to do next week. I don’t know the name of the treatment in English. The idea is to create the impact I have now on the nerve for a long period of time.”

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Further, he added, “If it doesn’t work, it will be another story. I’ll have to ask myself if I’m ready for a major surgery that would help me to play again.”

Nadal’s dominating performance against Casper Ruud

After grinding hard for victories in his previous rounds, Nadal had a comfortable straight-set victory over the Norwegian in the summit clash of Roland Garros. Moreover, it was Ruud’s maiden Grand Slam final appearance, and he looked short on confidence in the opening exchanges. Nadal didn’t give any breathing space to Ruud during his service games, as he prevailed in two hours and 18 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

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Owing to his Roland Garros victory, Nadal has climbed a spot to fourth as per the latest ATP rankings.