Nadal confirms chronic foot injury flared up in Shapovalov loss: "I am not injured, I am a player living with an injury"
ATP
Rafael Nadal fell to Denis Shapovalov on Thursday evening at Internazionali BNL d'Italia Rome in a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat and he revealed afterwards that it was his chronic foot injury which was the problem.
This was the reason he took time away from the court after the Sunshine Double and could potentially put his French Open plans in jeopardy.
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"I am not injured, I am a player living with an injury," the 35-year-old said post match. "It's nothing new. It's something that is there, and unfortunately, my day by day is difficult, honestly."
"Of course it's difficult for me to accept the situation sometimes because it can be frustrating that a lot of days I can practice the proper way then today at half of the second set it starts then was unplayable for me. Well done for Denis, sorry I came straight away. I don't want to take away any credit from Denis that he deserved."

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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mandoist08-11-2026






