(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.
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
ACCORDING TO MY CRYSTAL BALL,🧐👁👬👑🎾💎🔮🔮🔮RAFAEL NADAL WILL WIN THE 2018 WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIP!!!THAT IS 100 % GUARANTEED!8 yrs ago he won it…(8)…2018(8)…third time (3) looks like 8 when you continue the 3….. 18th Grand Slam of Rafa! COME TO THINK OF IT, EVERYTHING IS 8! In this year and that is the YING ANG YANG OF THE YEAR! Vamos and good luck Rafa! , our champion!👑👑👑
Fenomenal Rafa eso t ayudarà…adelante!!!
Rafa shud play a big servers and grass court specialists in the exhibition at least..it wud have been gud had he played Eastbourne..I don’t have much expectations on Rafa for wimbly, if he makes it second week it wud b gud and who knows wat might happen..as somebody else said for me the favs are djkr, kyrgios, roger..don’t want Roger to win at any cost..
Gorgeous pics. 😍🤗☀️
Good luck Rafa champ 🎾💪🏼🍀
Do we know where & when exhibition matches are? Hurlingham club again?
Good news. All the best Rafa <3
I am very happy that nadal feels confident. I believe he is not a favorite to win wimbeldon more an outsider. He already has a good season thanks to winning RG 11. But realistically he has not done well since 2011. His main goal at wimbeldon should be reaching the second week from there anyting can happen. I hope he practice with carlos moya on courtposition and mixing up his return and off course improving serve and his volleys. These are the tools you need to wimbeldon.
What was bothering him against muller last year was his weak predictable return and courtposition. Besides that in order for him to win wimbeldon. The following should happen
– Luck (that means all the dangerous opponents in nadal draw are eliminated
– A good draw. That means no big servers or clowns like dustin brown
– a good game everyting should go well (serve, return, volley and off course fore and backhand)
Favorites for the title are in my opinion Federer, Cilic, Krygios and even Djokovic
If nadal doesnt win wimbeldon I am going to root for either Krygios or Djokovic because I dont want federer to win wimbeldon because i still believe nadal can overtake the record of federer for most grandslam titles
Finally I hope nadal takes good care of his ankles i saw a photo of him where he switch his ankle during the practice
Buenos Dias Rafa.
Your body of 32yrs old will be well able to stay the distance at Wimbledon. Will be watching your every move..the anticipation is welling..Best of Luck to my King of tennis 💕🇮🇪💚❤
Go go go Rafa💪💪💪
Why not? It’s a good practice for the lead up to Wimbledon. Get the feel of the grass surface. I’m really sure that Rafa will do well at Wimby this year. So what are Rafa’s chances for winning Wimbledon this year? His last win was back in 2010. And he has won twice there too. Rafa is No 1 to me, I don’t care what the rankings say. Come on Rafa, go for your third win.
VAMOS RAFA No 1 always.
Rafa all the best in your exhibition matches whoever you play.
All the best for Wimbledon,
Love and prayers,
AlaineXXSydneyXXAustraliaXX
Who is he going by to play? Call Andy Roddick, dude’s been to 3 Wimbledon Finals. Call Pete Sampras, he’s won it 7 times. No one else not already entered in a tournament would be much help. Possibly Lleyton Hewitt would be ok as a former champion. Roger ain’t gonna train Rafa, neither is Chokovic and Murray is still limping. Maybe a WTA player? Lol… Sharapova needs to work on her game. That would be a fun exhibition match. Serena would too to end the McFeminism Serena is GOAT talk.