Rafael Nadal: At First I Thought This Ankle Injury Would End My Tournament, Now I Think I Can Play

by Staff |

A day after taking a spill and injuring his right ankle during a practice session in Miami, Rafael Nadal said he hopes to be ready for action on Friday.

Nadal talked to the press today about his right ankle, telling Reuters:

“In the beginning I thought it was going to be the end of the tournament,” Nadal told Reuters. “But I don’t know now, I don’t think so. I think I am going to be able to compete here. “Today, if I have to say one thing, for sure I am going to be on court on Friday. “Another thing is I don’t know how well I am going to be prepared…let’s see, if every day I am improving.” “I visited the physio of the ATP, they see things like this every week and they said that it doesn’t look very bad,” said Nadal. “It is still painful but I practiced here today for a little bit more than one hour. “It bothers me but I didn’t push myself very hard. I don’t know how I am going to answer when I try to get at 100 percent, which is what I need to compete well. “But I am confident I am going to be ready.”

Nadal opens his bid for a first Miami title Friday afternoon against either Nicolas Almagro or Sergiy Stakhovsky. He made the finals last year losing to Novak Djokovic, the fourth time he’s finished runner-up at the prestigious event. Nadal has made the semifinals the last four times he’s played the event.

Rafa’s last hardcourt title came at the start of 2014 in Doha. He has won 7 of the 9 current Masters 1000 events, missing only Miami and Paris.