Rafael Nadal called time on his 2021 season due to an ongoing foot injury that first bothered him greatly at the French Open.
The Spaniard took some time off after the event in order to 'prolongue his career' but the efforts did not work and Nadal was forced to abandon the rest of the 2021 season as he tries to find a solution for his foot injury. It was later revealed that the problem is a congenital one causing the first major issues back in 2005. His coach Carlos Moya spoke on the matter saying:
“Rafa’s main goal is to recover sensations in the foot and in the head, because going in fits and starts throughout the year has not helped him. He started with back pain in Australia, he has played only seven events this year. He missed Wimbledon, the Olympics and now the US Open and the Masters.”
Moya further continued saying:
“That’s why we should not look at what is happening on the circuit and concentrate on him. The best thing was to stop, rest the foot and refresh the head and ideas to do good training and arrive fresh to 2022.”
Asked how Nadal will go on about treating the foot issue Moya said:
“There were days when he finished training with a limp and the next day he was fine. We don’t know where this injury is coming from. There is a diagnosis but it is not clear what the best treatment is.”