Stefanos Tsitsipas was asked about Rafael Nadal winning the French Open while his foot was completely anesthetized for two weeks and he used the opportunity to tell about the time when he used an anaesthetic injection.
Nadal was severely hampered by foot pain just before the start of the French Open and using anti-inflammatories and painkillers was the solution he turned to.
After winning a record 14th French Open, Nadal said his foot was “put to sleep” for two weeks.
“I also have a little story where I thought I couldn’t play a game because I was in too much pain. But not to the extent that is the case with Rafa, of course. I had a similar situation once at the ATP Finals. I think it was my second group game and I had extreme pain in my leg. Then I got an injection and played one of the best games of my life,” Tsitsipas told Tennisnet.
Tsitsipas from earlier in the week, talking about sightseeing, buying some items…and separately, in the past, when he played with pain.
(From Tennisnet) pic.twitter.com/lHp8hTjMbD
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Nadal on how his foot was functioning while under the ‘sleep’
“They blocked the sensory nerves at a distance,” Nadal explained. “If the motor nerves are numbed, you can’t move your foot. This isn’t an exact science either, because there are days when the numbness is a bit lower. For example, yesterday in the final, my toes went to sleep and my feel was worse, but you have to control your ankle. I continued to control it enough to be able to compete. You have control of your foot, but there is no sensation. There may be a little more risk of twisting your ankle. The way I’m playing, with a numb foot, it doesn’t matter if there’s less feeling because I go from limping to being pain free. It can’t continue, but I was able to win the tournament because I could move and run. That wasn’t the case in Madrid or Rome.”
After winning the French Open, Nadal stated he will try to avoid going this route in the future.
Nadal is hoping to find a solution that will help him play pain-free and remain competitive on the Tour.