Rafael Nadal with his 14th French Open title
Rafael Nadal created history by winning his record 22nd Grand Slam at the recently concluded French Open.
The Spaniard, however, became embroiled in a controversy when he said he used anesthetic injections to deal with his leg pain for the entire two weeks of the French Open.
The confession did not go down well with the French cyclist, Thibaut Pinot, who said these methods were banned in his sport.
But, the World Anti-Doping Agency itself came to the rescue of Nadal. WADA director Olivier Nigli, in a conversation with RTS, said that anesthetic injections are not banned because they neither improve performance, nor are fundamentally wrong.
Anesthetic injections are not prohibited. This is not a mistake. Question arose. It was discussed. They are not on the list because they do not improve performance and are not fundamentally worse.
He further added that Nadal has won 13 French Open titles without injections, so it is not because of injections that he has won his 14th title.
However, Nadal recently clarified that he has undergone a new radiofrequency procedure for his leg and will not require injections in the future. As far as Wimbledon is concerned, Rafa being a part of it is a long shot.