Nadal intends to play at Wimbledon

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal confirmed yesterday he plans to play at Wimbledon, but his final decision rests on how his troublesome left foot feels after training in London next week.

MADRID

"My intention is to play at Wimbledon," the record 22-time Grand Slam champion said.

"The treatment and the last week of training tells me there is a chance. I will travel to London on Monday, play an exhibition at Hurlingham and do a week of training to see if it's possible." Nadal said that injections meant his foot was "asleep" during the French Open final earlier this month when he beat Casper Ruud to claim a record-extending 14th title at Roland Garros.

In the aftermath of his victory in Paris, the Australian Open champion said it was no longer feasible for him to keep using painkillers.

But after travelling to Barcelona last week to begin "pulsed radiofrequency stimulation", a procedure aimed at reducing nerve pain, the 36-year-old is happy with the way his treatment is progressing.