What time does Rafael Nadal play at Hurlingham?

On June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 By Rafael Nadal FansIn Articles, Exhibitions, Match Time & Live StreamLeave a comment

Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Rafael Nadal is to warm up for Wimbledon with two exhibition matches at the Aspall Tennis Classic at Hurlingham this week.

The world No. 1 will play this year’s Australian Open semi-finalist Hyeon Chung on Wednesday before facing Lucas Pouille, a previous Wimbledon quarter-finalist, on Friday – just three days before the SW19 showpiece gets underway.

Here’s the schedule of play at Hurlingham:

Wednesday 27th June (play starts at 2 PM local time)

Maria Sharapova v TBC

Hyeon Chung v Rafael Nadal

Friday 29th June (play starts at 2 PM local time)

Rafael Nadal v Lucas Pouille

Followed by Pablo Carreno Busta v Karen Khachanov

Not before 5:30pm - Bahrami/Rusedski v Philippoussis /Pernfors

Rafa said:

It’s always great to play in front of UK fans so I can’t wait to return.

I’m working hard and this is the perfect way to warm up for Wimbledon.

2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the Aspall Tennis Classic at Hurlingham, which over the years has become one of the world’s most star-studded tennis exhibitions. This year’s edition takes place from Tuesday, June 26 until Friday, June 29.

Vamos Rafa!

ATP List: Rafael Nadal back to No. 1 in the world

On June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 By Rafael Nadal FansIn Rankings12 Comments

Rafael Nadal is back at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, once again swapping spots with Roger Federer.

Rafa now leads Federer by just 50 points (8,770 to 8,720 points) in this week’s standings and will hold onto the top spot until at least 16 July. Our champ is only defending 180 points at Wimbledon, while Federer is defending 2000 after winning the title last year.

The current ATP rankings and point scores are as follows:

#	Name	Nationality	Points	Tournaments
1.	Nadal Rafael	Spain	8770	14
2.	Federer Roger	Switzerland	8720	18
3.	Zverev Alexander	Germany	5755	22
4.	Del Potro Juan-Martin	Argentina	5080	19
5.	Cilic Marin	Croatia	5060	18
6.	Dimitrov Grigor	Bulgaria	4780	22
7.	Thiem Dominic	Austria	3835	26
8.	Anderson Kevin	South Africa	3635	22
9.	Goffin David	Belgium	3110	25
10.	Isner John	USA	3070	24

Rafa is still #1 in the year-to-date rankings.

Even though Rafa is world No. 1 player in the world, he will likely to be the second seed at the Wimbledon due to seeding formula.

Unlike the other three Slams, Wimbledon is not bound to follow the ATP rankings when it comes to seeding its own tournament by virtue of its status as a private club.

Source: ATP World Tour

Here’s what Rafael Nadal said after his Wimbledon debut in 2003

On June 23, 2018June 24, 2018 By Rafael Nadal FansIn Articles, Interviews14 Comments

On June 23, 2003 Rafael Nadal made his Wimbledon debut with a 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Mario Ancic. Here’s what our champ had to say after his debut.

Photo by Tommy Hindley/Professional Sport/Popperfoto/Getty Images

Q. Fine performance, great match, but was there a risk of it slipping away in the fourth set?

RAFAEL NADAL-PARERA: A little bit, like in the third set, maybe when, you know, I wasn’t missing that much, I was playing too defensive. In the fourth set, a little bit. Yeah, I mean, it was my first main draw match in a Grand Slam, so I was a little bit nervous, just a little bit afraid. But, you know, that happened in the third set. In the fourth set, then I was fine. But I played my best tennis in the first two sets.

Q. How do you like playing at Wimbledon? How do you like the grass?

RAFAEL NADAL-PARERA: Yeah, last year I already played in the Juniors, and I played quite well. This year it was a pity that I couldn’t play the lead-up tournaments to Wimbledon. But I think I like to play on grass. Maybe I will not play very well on grass, but I like to play on grass, and it’s going my way.

Q. Is it true that you’re related to the footballer Nadal?

RAFAEL NADAL-PARERA: Yes, that’s my uncle.

Q. How long have you been practicing on grass before the tournament, due to your elbow injury?

RAFAEL NADAL-PARERA: Yeah, from Friday night, like one hour, and then Saturday and Sunday, here.

Q. When did you recover completely from your elbow injury?

RAFAEL NADAL-PARERA: Playing at my top level, like since last Monday.

Q. I think your next match could be against a British guy, which means you could be on Centre Court. How would you feel about that?

RAFAEL NADAL-PARERA: I wish. I’m looking forward to playing on Centre Court. I would like that.

Q. How does being related to your uncle help you in situations, pressure situations? Continue reading “Here’s what Rafael Nadal said after his Wimbledon debut in 2003” →

Rafael Nadal nominated for Best Male Tennis Player at the 2018 ESPYs

On June 23, 2018June 23, 2018 By Rafael Nadal FansIn Articles26 Comments

Rafael Nadal was nominated for Best Male Tennis Player award for the 2018 ESPY Awards.

The awards show will take place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and will air on July 18 with race car driver Danica Patrick as host.

Nominated with Rafa for Best Male Tennis Player are Roger Federer and Marin Cilic.

The ESPY, short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly, honors sports achievement in the past calendar year, with the winners decided by online fan balloting at the ESPN website.

You can vote for Rafa HERE!

Rafael Nadal will play two exhibition matches before Wimbledon

On June 23, 2018June 23, 2018 By Rafael Nadal FansIn Articles, Photos, Rafael Nadal, Video12 Comments

(EFE) – Rafael Nadal said on Friday he was feeling confident after five days of pre-Wimbledon practice on grass at the Santa Ponça Tennis Club, where the WTA Tour’s Mallorca Open is being held this week.

After winning a record-extending 11th French Open title earlier this month, the Spaniard withdrew from the Queen’s Club Championships, a key Wimbledon tune-up played in London from June 18 to June 24.

In a press conference, the world No. 2 talked about the state of his game ahead of the year’s third Grand Slam event and what goes into having a successful run at Wimbledon, a tournament he has won twice.

“I played very well on clay, and that always helps … We have to bear in mind the Wimbledon courts, which are very special, and the draw is also important,” he said, alluding to the possibility of facing dangerous, unseeded grass-court specialists in the early rounds.

Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Referring to his preparations in Calvia, a municipality on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, Rafa said that “all has gone well and I would like to thank the Mallorca Open organizers for allowing me to train here. I had a very intense clay-court season, and my body needed some rest.”

Rafa reiterated that the switch from clay to grass was tough on his 32-year-old body, but he also recalled that he was in excellent form last year at the All England Club despite coming off an equally long and demanding clay-court campaign.

“I’ll play two exhibition matches (before Wimbledon, which gets under way on July 2), and it’ll be a week to tighten things up before I arrive at a tournament where you never know how things might go,” Rafa said. “I have good memories from last year. I lost (in the round of 16 to big-serving Gilles Muller), but I was playing at a very high level.

Although a fourth-round loss is never an acceptable result for a player of Rafa’s stature, his performance at last year’s Wimbledon was arguably his best effort since a runner-up finish in 2011.

Source: EFE

Mallorca Open 2018: Practice photos & video

On June 22, 2018June 22, 2018 By Rafael Nadal FansIn Photos, Rafael Nadal, Video4 Comments

Rafael Nadal still is practising on the grass courts at the Mallorca Open. It’s great to see our champ showed no ill-effects in practice today after suffering an injury scare on Wednesday.

Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Rafa Roundup: Here’s why Rafael Nadal doesn’t see himself becoming a father anytime soon

On June 21, 2018June 21, 2018 By Rafael Nadal FansIn Rafa Roundup4 Comments

ARTICLES:

Rafa Nadal: I thought that I would be retired by this age | Marca

“My life leads me to live things one way, or to do things another. I also have a partner and it is not just me who decides things. You have to adapt to the situations that are happening. I enjoy what I love in tennis, as well as outside of it.

A family? I don’t know; things are not so easy to foresee. At this age, I thought I would be retired and would have a family. To me I think I see a more structured family with a more stable life and that is what I would have liked. The years are going on but it depends on what happens with my tennis and with my career; there will come a time when a decision must be made and when it arrives, it will come without any kind of stress. These are natural things that you go through in life.”

For your life: Federer on Centre Court, or Nadal on Chatrier? | tennis.com

I would take Nadal on Chatrier without hesitation because of his remarkable 86-2 win-loss record. In his 13 appearances at Roland Garros, the Spaniard has won 11 titles, making him a sure bet. Federer, on the other hand, has won eight Wimbledon titles in his 19 appearances. Though he is considered the best grass-courter of all time, he hasn’t dominated at the All England Club the way the way Nadal has in Paris.

Mailbag: Grass Court Season, Equal Pay and the Fed-Rafa Documentary | SI.com

Might Rafa have more Wimbledon titles if the French Open and Wimbledon were not played so close together? —@viralmep11

Interesting. You have a sense that the French—understandably—takes a lot out of him, as much spiritually as physically. In this sense, sure, he could benefit from a longer transition to grass. On the other hand, note that both times Nadal won Wimbledon, he won the French four Sundays prior. And note as well that Nadal reached the Wimbledon finals five times between 2006-2011 (and didn’t play in 2009) and those were the days where there were only two weeks between the two events. With the added week in between, his results have worsened.

Halep praised by Nadal after French Open success | WTA

“She is one of the best players on the women’s tour,” Nadal told the media after defeating Dominic Thiem to seal his 11th title in Paris. “It is nice that after the final that she lost last year, with so many chances, with breaks in the second and the third, that she was able to win a Grand Slam.”

“She deserves it,” said Nadal. “She is No.1 in the world and she is very hard-working. I like people that work hard and have success because I believe that they deserve it. She is one of them, so I am happy for her.”

A Tennis Reporter Turned Graffiti Artist Draws on French Open Memories | New York Times

Twenty minutes after Rafael Nadal finished dismantling Dominic Thiem in the French Open final on Sunday evening, we were invited to experience more destruction.

Roland Garros was throwing a “Demolition Party,” toasting the last night its 30-year-old media center would be in use. Built into the side of Court Philippe Chatrier, the tournament’s principal stadium, the media center was slated to be torn down, along with most of the rest of the building.

VIDEO: 10 Mind Bending Stats to Celebrate Rafael Nadal’s 11th Roland Garros Title

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