After three years without playing on grass, Rafael Nadal starts his Wimbledon warm-up by defeating Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3 in an exhibition match at the Hurlingham Club in London. He showcased some fine form, utilizing his powerful forehand and making use of tight angles for drop shots as he came to terms with the grass court.
It has been a while without playing on grass. Since 2019 I haven’t been able to play on grass through the tough moments we went through with the pandemic and last year I got injured. So I am excited to be back where we are today. It has always been a pleasure playing here in Hurlingham. It is special to be back.
Honestly for me it is positive to play a couple of matches before the competition starts at Wimbledon. I used to play at Queen’s a long time ago now. I am older now – I can’t manage to play so many matches. For me it is perfect to play a couple of matches here before Wimbledon starts. That helps me to feel at least some competition before Wimbledon.
Rafa Nadal
On Friday, our champ is scheduled to face Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Does anyone know who’s playing today? Everything seems to say Alcaraz v TBD, but surely they must know who is TBD by now!
Good job, Rafa.👍 Looking forward to your next match vs Felix.
Vamos💪🍀❤️
Well done Rafa. Good start on gras👍
[…] PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal beats Stan Wawrinka at Hurlingham Club in exhibition match […]
[…] PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal beats Stan Wawrinka at Hurlingham Club in exhibition match […]
[…] PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal beats Stan Wawrinka at Hurlingham Club in exhibition match […]
This is an exhibition match and the good news is that Rafa is doing well with no signs of a 🦶 problem. Stan, on the other hand is pretty rusty and there is no telling at this point how well he could do at Wimby. I am happy that Rafa can get to play on grass to start getting the grass feel after not having played the service since 2019, I think.
Waiting to see how he plays against FAA.
Up and forward Rafa!
That was my view too. I was happy how Rafa played, but Stan was so rusty.
Its a out getting comfortable with the grass and knowing the foot is good . Beating Stan is good for the confidence . Beating Felix will help even more ! Vamos Rafa and lets tread softly while fine tuning your grass game . Playing aggressive winning grass court tennis will mean lots of serve and volley which is what Rafa can excel at if he concentrates on doing it as playing from behind the baseline on grass neutralizes Rafa’s advantages since its a fast surface and requires wuick winners . Jest saying !
I’ve just watched this. They were both double faulting and struggling to hold serve, but the main thing was that Rafa seemed to be moving well: there were (touch wood) no signs that the foot was causing him problems.
wow I bet Rafa feels great! First match after the new procedure and first match on grass since 2019 (which is ancient history at this point)!!!
Where’s the video?
Rafael, well done, dear !
Vamos Rafa , lo mejor
So proud of him may he have a successful Wimbledon tournament pray 🙏 for this wonderful sports man since 2005 I followed his career and I am still his number 1 fan