Rafael Nadal’s situation is like his heart is willing, but his feet are not.
The Spaniard, who has won 14 French Open titles and 22 Grand Slam titles, suffers from Mueller-Weiss syndrome, a degenerative ailment affecting the bones in the feet. To keep him running this past fortnight at Roland Garros, the 36-year-old required injections (nerve blocks) on his left foot, two shots before each of his seven matches, and anti-inflammatories.
Nadal, who is on his way to completing a calendar Slam after winning the Australian and French Opens in the same year for the first time in his career, will see his doctor in search of “long-term” comfort for his left foot.
“I’ve been playing with nerve injections to rest the foot,” the world No. 4 said of the nerve blocks that enabled him to compete this fortnight after hobbling out of Rome’s draw. Nadal was fortunate to avoid numbing the pain in his foot, as doing so could have resulted in a more catastrophic injury.
“Everybody understands how important this match is to me, and I wanted to keep trying and give myself a chance here,” Nadal said. “However, it’s apparent that I can’t compete with my foot asleep.”
The injections provided temporary comfort for the 22-time major winner, lasting up to a few hours. Still, Nadal is looking for a long-term solution, even if it is only a temporary one.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) therapy is a one-time treatment that uses minimally invasive technology. It has a two-year shelf life. In some situations, the charred nerve may regenerate 12 months after the treatment. For someone like Nadal, who has had success with nerve blocks, the chances of the radiofrequency ablation functioning are as high as 90%.