Rafael Nadal to return to British Grand Slam after three years: ‘My intention is to play at Wimbledon’

Rafael Nadal does not stop. Neither the fact of having won his 14th Roland Garros at the age of 36, nor the chronic injury from which he suffers in the foot could make him rest and miss Wimbledon again. The Spaniard gave a press conference in Mallorca and confessed that he will travel to London to participate in the third major tournament of the year.

“My intention is to play at Wimbledon. The treatment and the week of training give me hope, and I wouldn’t go if I didn’t intend to play. I will travel, I will play an exhibition at Hurlingham and I will do a week of training to see if it is possible “, he said to the surprise of some present, and it is that the reality of Nadal made us think that the Balearics would not arrive in conditions for the tournament which is played at the All England Tennis Club.

This in large part because after his consecration in Paris, the winner of 22 Grand Slam tournaments began a medical procedure to permanently put the nerves of his foot to sleep and no longer feel pain. “What has been done in Barcelona is not a 100% immediate thing, but the changes are immediately noticeable. Somehow the joint pains that wouldn’t let me sustain myself have diminished. They feel things. Sometimes one part falls asleep, sometimes another, and sometimes I feel crawling on the floor. But in a few weeks everything is rearranged. I am happy. I haven’t been lame for a week Rafa explained.

This is why he will now seek to return to the Cathedral of Tennis, albeit in moderation. “I haven’t played Wimbledon for three years and I’m excited. I don’t know what can happen in five days, I’m cautious, but what’s happened so far gives me hope that I can be there “, he commented.

That’s why he did a thorough analysis of his vision of what the tournament could be. “The feelings are good. Playing Roland Garros well helps the level of confidence, but the grass is a different surface and there is little logic. But I haven’t played on grass for three years and it will be difficult. The first laps will be crucial. If you pass them, the rivals are more difficult, but you play with more security. You play the first matches with people with recent experience on these courts and it’s a bit of a lottery “, he specified.

Finally, Nadal was consulted on what would come after Wimbledon, particularly on the cement North American tour. “I am a professional tennis player and try to follow the schedule as much as possible. I will do my best to arrive well prepared. Normally what I’ve done is play the first week of the Masters 1000, in Canada, and then the decisions are made. So far it has worked well for me and I’m not a friend of changing what works well. My intention is to play at Wimbledon, on rest, then in Canada and then at the US Open. “, he concluded.