Rafael Nadal’s coach, Carlos Moya, believes the 20-time Grand Slam champion has made the right decision to call time on his season due to a persistent foot injury.

It’s known that the Spaniard has struggled with Müller-Weiss Syndrome. The condition had flared up in his French Open semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic in June and subsequently saw him miss Wimbledon.

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

He then pulled out of the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters 1000 events before calling it quits for the remainder of the year.

READ | Müller-Weiss Syndrome: The rare foot condition hampering Rafael Nadal

While the condition has bothered Nadal since 2005, Moya has acknowledged it’s been more of an issue of late.

“This year the story has changed,” Moya, who the 1998 French Open, told the El Transistor program. “Many training sessions could not be finished and we had to change the training and reduce the pressure on the foot, thinking of tournaments.

“One day we had to finish the training, the next day it is fine,” added Moya. “There is a diagnosis, but it’s not apparent what is the best treatment.”

Moya said the loss to Harris was the last straw for Nadal’s season.

“He has been in pain for months. In the final match (against Harris), he was practically on one leg. Rafa’s principal objective is to regain good sensations in the foot and mentally, because hobbling around all year has not helped him on court.”

Moya, though, insisted that Nadal was eager to get back on tour in 2022.

“He started with back pain in Australia and he has played just seven events this season. Had to forfeit Wimbledon, Tokyo, and now the US Open, ATP Finals,” said Moya. “That’s why he has to concentrate on himself, not what’s happening on tour.”

Müller-Weiss Syndrome almost ended Nadal’s career as a teenager but he’s managed the condition well over the years, although it has played a part in causing injuries to other parts of his body.

Picture: ATP Tour/Twitter

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