Rafa Nadal admits injury after grueling Wimbledon victory in first round | Tennis | Sport
Rafael Nadal has admitted that his body has prevented him from preparing for how he would like to go to Wimbledon after a hard-fought victory in the first round over Francisco Cerundolo. The Spaniard had not played a single competitive match on tour since winning the French Open earlier this month.
There are only a few weeks between Roland Garros and the start of Wimbledon, where players try to spend as much time on the grass as possible to acclimatize to the surface. Nadal was unable to do so this year with his foot problem, forcing him to undergo treatment immediately after his victory in the French Open.
It’s been seven years since Nadal played at the infamous Queen’s Championships, though with his only victory at the event coming back in 2008. Instead, Nadal has often come to Wimbledon, not playing a single turf event, and it has often cost him.
He has not been able to reach the final at Wimbledon since 2011, when Nadal was at the peak of his career as a 25-year-old. Nadal remains at the top of the men’s match after winning both the Australian Open and French Open this year.
But the Spaniard accepts that he needs more time to get used to the turf due to the strain on his body over the years. “Even after 19 years, it takes time to get used to grass, and I haven’t put my feet on grass in three years,” Nadal said.
“Every day is a test, and today was an important one.” He added: “It’s obvious that when you play well at Roland Garros, there is not much time in between.
“I used to remember those old beautiful days when I played the final at Roland Garros, and the next day I rehearsed at Queen’s. But my body doesn’t allow me to do that anymore, so I have to take a few days off after Roland Garros.
“Of course everyone knows I had to do some things on my feet. But the most important thing is that I’m at Wimbledon 2022 and I won my first match.”
Nadal goes on to face Ricardas Berankis in the next round with a potential encounter against Lorenzo Sonego in the third.
Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal may well have helped Nadal on his side of the draw after the Italian was forced to retire after testing positive for Covid.