“Had a Bit of Pain in His Foot”: French Open Tournament Director Reveals Rafael Nadal’s Injury Against Novak Djokovic in the Semifinal

Rafael Nadal was beaten for just the third time in history at French Open and a second time by World No.1 Novak Djokovic in 2021. It was a fabulous match that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

Following the match, Djokovic went on to claim his 19th Grand Slam, whereas Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon Championships 2021 because of fatigue. However, Roland Garros tournament director Guy Forget revealed that Nadal had sustained an injury in the latter stages of the semifinal.

Forget revealed that Nadal had discomfort in his foot; however, despite being in a bad physical shape, Nadal didn’t speak about its effect on his match. The match was of high quality and Forget is glad that both the players played very well. Moreover, Nadal’s attitude fascinated Forget.

“Had a bit of pain in his foot. But he had the class not to talk about it. Everyone was amazed at the quality of this fight. Both players pushed the envelope and showed that they still dominate tennis,” Forget said.

(Quotes have been translated via Google)

What did Rafael Nadal say after his French Open 2021 exit?

As the match transpired, Nadal was losing his physical edge. Niggles and fatigue crept into the Spaniard’s game and ultimately he lost. But Nadal didn’t speak about his physical problems and instead lauded Djokovic. Nadal took ownership of his mistakes and hence credited Djokovic for the victory.

“I had the big chance with set point, 6-5, second serve. That’s it. Anything could happen in that moment. Then I make a double-fault, easy volley in the tiebreak. These kind of mistakes can happen. But if you want to win, you can’t make these mistakes. So that’s it. Well done for him. Have been a good fight out there. I try my best, and today was not my day,” Nadal said.

The Nadal-Djokovic semifinal was so much cherished that the mandatory 11 pm government-mandated curfew was withdrawn for the fans in the stadium. Because of the COVID-19 restrictions, the night matches were being interrupted at 10.45 pm for the fans to leave the stadium. However, during the epic semifinal, the restrictions were pardoned.

Read more: Unlike Rafael Nadal, Del Potro and Others, Novak Djokovic Confirms to Play Tokyo Olympics 2021