Nadal miracle recovery means a go for Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal on Friday wrapped up five days of grass training in Spain by confirming he would play Wimbledon.

The winner of the first two Grand Slams of the season made the call on his home island of Mallorca after another beneficial hit-out, with encouraging signs that two sessions of specialised electro treatment has worked to ease what has been described as chronic foot pain.

He is due to transfer to the British capital on Monday.

“The progress has been satisfactory,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said “I don’t know what might happen in five days, I’m cautious. 

“I’ve been able to train this week and that leads me to travel to London,”

He added: “I’ve not felt so much pain this week, this week here tells me there is a chance I can play.”

“With the treatment in the nerves, strange things happen in your foot. You feel numb in some areas and not in others.

“It’s normal, after a few weeks the nerves reorganise themselves.

“(I have) s  bit of pain, but different to before, which for me is progress.”

Nadal won the French Open while requiring injections before each of his seven matches and had his personal doctors in Paris throughout the clay fortnight where he won his 14th Roland Garros title. 

The 36-year-old will go ahead and compete at the All England Club despite its no-point status as result of a political battle between the ATP and Wimbledon organisers over the ban on Russian and Belarus player entries.

Nadal also outlined his pre-Wimbledon preparation, confirming he would play the Hurlingham exhibition during the Wimbledon run-up week in London.

He added that while the pain in his foot has not completely disappeared, he has now gone two weeks without limping – albeit with some numbness and occasional cramping – a vast improvement from Paris.