Rafael Nadal ‘struggling to walk down stairs’ as career takes worrying toll on normal life
Rafael Nadal has painted a worrying picture of his life away from the court as the tennis icon admits he experiences pain from his injuries as part of his everyday life. The 37-year-old has not played since January after struggling to overcome a host of injury problems, which forced him to undergo surgery in March.
But it appears the Spanish icon is not out of the woods yet, describing how he is still suffering from the rigours of his demanding career.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner has only tasted victory in two of his last eight matches since bowing out of the 2022 US Open to Frances Tiafoe. He was soundly beaten on his last appearance at a Slam, a straight-sets defeat to Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open in January.
He has been plagued by psoas, hip and foot injuries over the past 12 months which have kept him away from the court. Nadal missed the French Open and Wimbledon after undergoing arthroscopic surgery in an attempt to fix the recurring issues.
And while he now feels able to keep the pain within his control, he admitted there are moments where he cannot go about his day normally, even struggling to walk down the stairs in his own house.
