As part of his quest for the calendar Grand Slam, Rafael Nadal will compete at Wimbledon this year.
The 36-year-old Spaniard won the French Open earlier this month, putting him two Slams ahead of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Victory at Roland Garros came after a win in the Australian Open in January, putting him on track to win all four major tennis events in the same year.
Nadal was in discomfort in his foot in Paris and needed injections merely to play the matches. Due to his injuries, it was speculated that he might skip Wimbledon to focus on his recovery.
However, speaking about Nadal’s chances of playing at SW19, his uncle Toni said: ‘Yes, Rafael will play in Wimbledon. I talked to him. At first he said: “Everything hurts.” But when we spoke yesterday, he said it was much better.
‘He wants to train. And if he has a little chance, he will play at Wimbledon. He goes on the court on Monday.’
Nadal hasn’t competed at Wimbledon since losing to Federer in the semi-finals in 2019.
Meanwhile, he hasn’t won the tournament since beating Tomas Berdych in straight sets in the final in 2010.
Rod Laver of Australia was the last male player to win a calendar Slam in tennis in 1969.
Given his limping through the clay warm-up events, it’s astonishing that Nadal is heading to the All England Club hoping to emulate the legend’s achievement.
The two-time Wimbledon winner has been advised that he may require surgery to adequately cure his foot, but his uncle Toni claims that Nadal is hesitant to retire.
‘Later on, it’s not a problem; right now, it’s a problem,’ he added. Everything is gone if he has a surgery. However, if he gets surgery, he will be unable to play at a high level. That is why he refuses to do it. Otherwise, a surgery would not be a problem.’