Wimbledon 2018: Rafael Nadal keeping his expectations high despite lack of recent success
The Spaniard, who said he is 'feeling good' ahead of the Championships, is targeting a third Wimbledon title
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Your support makes all the difference.It is seven years since Rafael Nadal last reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon but the world No 1 insists that his expectations are “always high”, even when he has minimal time to prepare for the tournament.
For the second year in a row Nadal has arrived at the All England Club without any grass-court matches under his belt, having pulled out of last week’s Fever-Tree Championships at Queen’s Club following his exertions during the clay-court season, culminating in his 11th triumph at the French Open.
“I’m feeling good,” Nadal insisted here on Saturday. “I’ve always loved being here. It’s always been a special thing.
“Of course it wasn’t positive for me not to play Queen’s. I was sad not to have the chance to be there. On the other hand, the reason I didn’t play there was because I had played a lot on clay, so I was very happy.
“But that’s how it works. I’m not 20 anymore. I have to take decisions on the schedule sometimes. I decided not to play Queen’s because I’d had a long clay-court season. The body needed a rest and a slow adaptation to adapt to the grass. That’s what I did.”
Nadal said he always planned his schedule carefully and was particularly wary about changes of surfaces. “I’m not playing 23 or 24 events a year,” the 32-year-old said. “I’m taking care of my body. You cannot predict injuries. I don’t know whether I’ve been unlucky or not, but I’ve been injured more than other players, especially my rivals.
“I just accept that and keep going, try to do the things the best way possible to be injured less, but it’s something that you cannot control.”
Nadal said this summer’s busy schedule was such that he could not be sure whether he would play in the second edition of the Laver Cup team competition in Chicago in September. The world No 1 said he had enjoyed playing in the inaugural event in Prague last summer but pointed out that this year’s would be staged just a few days after Spain’s Davis Cup semi-final against France, which itself follows hot on the heels of the US Open.
Nadal said he had often arrived at Wimbledon not quite sure of his form given his lack of build-up matches. When he won the All England Club title for the first time in 2008 he had already played five matches on grass in winning the title at Queen’s Club. He had played three matches at Queen’s in the build-up to his second triumph in 2010.
“Even with three matches you arrive here and you really don’t know [how well you are playing],” Nadal said. “It’s an event where you need to find your confidence during the tournament and during the practice the week before.
“For example, when I arrive at Roland Garros, I know more or less if I am playing well or not so well. I know where my chances are, more or less. At the US Open a little bit less, but I still know better than here.”
Whenever Nadal has reached the quarter-finals here he has gone on to reach the final. He admitted that conditions usually became easier in the second week as the surface became more worn, but felt that the grass on the courts was longer this year. “I don’t know if they are trying to protect the grass because the weather has been unbelievable,” he said.
The draw looks to have been kind to Nadal, who faces Dudi Sela in the first round and might not have a significant challenge until the quarter-finals, when he could face Juan Martin del Potro.
However, Nadal insisted: “I know I have to play very well in the conditions at the beginning of the tournament because here there are no easy matches. All the matches are difficult. I need to be ready from the beginning.”
It is 10 years since Nadal beat Roger Federer in the final here in the match many regard as the greatest of all time.
“That final was a very important step forward for me in my career,” Nadal recalled. “I have always been very clear that it’s probably one of the most emotional matches that I played in my career. Everybody knows that for me to win here was one of my dreams.
“After losing two finals, that final had a big impact on my tennis career. The personal satisfaction that tournament gave to me is difficult to compare with anything else.”
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