Rafael Nadal reclaimed his crown as the "King of Clay" with a dominant straight-sets victory over Norway's first-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud, as the "Roland Garros Royal" roared to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 win in Sunday's men's singles championship match.

But after claiming a record-extending 14th French Open and 22nd overall Grand Slam title, the 36-year-old revealed that he was only able to play in the latest edition of his favorite event by taking anesthetic injections before every match to numb his foot, a procedure the Spaniard says he is not willing to continue.

"I was able to play during these two weeks with extreme conditions," said Nadal. "I have been playing with an injection on the nerves to sleep the foot, and that's why I was able to play during these two weeks, because I have no feelings on my foot, because my doctor was able to put anesthetic injections on the nerves. That takes out the feeling on my foot."

Nadal now plans to start undergoing a make-or-break new treatment for the chronic injury next week in hopes of prolonging his career. Should the procedure, radiofrequency ablation to the nerve in his foot not work, the World No. 5 admits he will have to consider surgery, casting major doubt over what remains of his glittering career.

"That's what we are going to try. If that works, I'm going to keep going. If that does not work, then it's going to be another story," added Nadal. 

The Mallorca native also announced that he only intends to play at Wimbledon, which gets underway in just three weeks, if he can compete without enduring the numbing shots he subjected himself to in Paris.

"Wimbledon is a priority, always have been a priority," said Nadal. "If I am able to play with anti-inflammatories, yes; to play with anesthetic injections, no. I don't want to put myself in that position again. Can happen once, but no, it is not a philosophy of life that I want to follow."