The foot injury currently sidelining Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal is a rare condition called Müller-Weiss Syndrome.

Nadal recently pulled out of the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters 1000 events due to a foot injury and it was confirmed on Friday (20 August) that he would take no further part in the 2021 season.

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The Spaniard had played the Washington ATP 500-level event earlier this month but lost his second match there to South Africa’s Lloyd Harris.

He revealed in Washington that he was struggling with his foot. The condition had flared up in his French Open semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic in June and subsequently saw him miss Wimbledon. It will also now see him miss the year’s final Grand Slam – the US Open at Flushing Meadows.

Müller-Weiss Syndrome is described as “a rare bone disease characterized by spontaneous adult-onset tarsal navicular osteonecrosis”.

The condition causes progressive fragmentation leading to mid- and hindfoot pain and deformity. Treatment can include the use of rigid insoles with medial arch support and a lateral heel wedge.

Nadal was first diagnosed with the condition in 2005 and it almost ended his career prematurely back then.

He’s managed the condition well over the years but it has played a part in causing injuries to other parts of his body.

WATCH in the video clip below as a foot specialist explains Nadal’s rare condition:

Picture: National Bank Open – Twitter

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