Nadal ready for French Open despite injury issues

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal went down to Denis Shapovalov in the Italian Open. File photo: AFP/Andreas Solaro

Rafael Nadal has moved to ease concerns about his injury problems ahead of the French Open, posting a picture of himself training in full flow at his academy in Mallorca with the caption: "See you on Wednesday, Paris."

The 13-time Roland Garros champion had said last week that daily training was a challenge and he would take a doctor with him to Paris after a chronic foot injury flared up during his defeat by Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open.

Nadal, 35, who only recently returned from a stress fracture in the ribs, struggled towards the end of his match against the Canadian as he went down 6-1, 5-7, 2-6 in the last-16.

But the world No. 5 looks poised to launch another bid for a Grand Slam title at his favourite hunting ground, having won his 21st major at the Australian Open earlier this year.

That victory followed a difficult 2021 during which he missed Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and the US Open.

Nadal will be attempting to reclaim the title in Paris after he suffered a semifinal defeat last year against Novak Djokovic, only his third career loss at Roland Garros.

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