French Open 2022: Struggling Nadal not ready to give up dream of winning 14th crown

10-time Italian Open champion Rafael Nadal suffered a 1-6, 7-5. 6-2 defeat at the hands of Dennis Shapovalov in the last-16 round in Rome on Thursday.

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Spanish ace Rafael Nadal suffered a shock defeat against Denis Shapovalov in the last-16 round at the Italian Open on Thursday, leaving fans worried if the 21-time Grand Slam winner is in his best shape to clinch his 14th French Open crown later this month. However, the tennis great is unwilling to give up on the goal despite being hampered by a chronic foot injury in Rome.

Nadal, who recently returned to action following a six-week break owing to a rib injury, struggled at the back end of his match against the Canadian as he went down 1-6, 7-5. 6-2 in the last-16 at the Foro Italico.

Following his exit from the Rome Masters, Nadal said that regular training was a challenge, and he would take a doctor with him to Roland Garros to help him achieve a goal that he has his eyes set on.

Watch: Nadal talks about his French Open title bid

"I had my foot again with a lot of pain. I am a player living with an injury - it is nothing new. It's something that is there. Unfortunately, my day-by-day is difficult, honestly… it's difficult for me to accept the situation sometimes. Today at half the second set, it started, and then it wasn't playable for me. I don't want to take away anything from Denis. Today is for him. Well done for him," Nadal, a 10-times champion in Rome, told reporters.

The 35-year-old missed the bulk of last season due to a foot problem before mounting a remarkable comeback to win the Australian Open in January and prevailing in Acapulco.

"Since I came back, the foot has been tough. It's tough for me to be able to practise the proper way days in a row. So then you need to move well to compete at the highest level, something that I am not able to practise. The toughest thing for me today is honestly I start to feel myself play much better. I started the match playing much better. My practice was much better, the warmup than the other day," Nadal added.

With Roland Garros beginning May 22, the King of Clay was asked whether his foot would allow him to mount a serious bid for a record-extending 14th title at the clay-court major. "What can happen in the next couple of days, I don't know. What can happen in one week, I really don't know now," he said.

"It's the time to accept the situation and fight. That's it… I don't know if rest, I don't know if maybe practice. But I still have a goal in one week and a couple of days. I'm going to keep dreaming about that goal," the Spanish ace asserted.

"First thing that I need to do is to don't have pain to practise, that's it… It's true that during the French Open, Roland Garros, I'm going to have my doctor there with me. That sometimes helps because you can do things. In the positive days and in the negative days, you need to stay and to value all the things that happened to me in a positive way. Then days like today, just accept and try to keep going even if sometimes it's not easy for me," Nadal concluded.