It’s rather strange to see Rafael Nadal enter a Grand Slam outside the top seeds and not among the so called ‘Big Four’.
Having suffered some uncharacteristic defeats this season and relinquished his Roland Garros crown, Nadal has slipped down to No.10 in the rankings.
However, the two-time Wimbledon champion won his first grass-court title in five years earlier this month in Stuttgart and is optimistic ahead of The Championships.
“I feel good. I won a tournament on grass after five years, a good moment for me and a special one.
“Let's see if I am able to compete well then at Wimbledon. I'm so happy to be here, you know. Healthy, that's the most important thing. Last year I was better, after 2012 and '13, that I couldn't play well here. Too many problems with my knees.
I feel good. I won a tournament on grass after five years. I'm so happy to be here. Healthy, that's the most important thing
“It’s good, losing or winning, doesn't matter, but it is good to be healthy on the second most important surface in my career, without any doubt.”
By his exceptionally high standards, Nadal endured a disappointing clay-court season and fell to a shock opening-round defeat against Alexandr Dolgopolov at Queen’s but he now feels refreshed ahead of his Wimbledon challenge.
"I was in Stuttgart practising on grass very early. You know, I stayed in Queen's until Friday. So I rest for three days at home. I didn't practise at home. I came back here Tuesday morning and I have played well here on the practice courts.”
The 29-year-old opens his Wimbledon campaign versus Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, against whom he holds a 4-0 head-to-head record, including a straight sets victory against his fellow left-hander in the first round at SW19 in 2012.
Due to his 10th seeding, the Spaniard faces a tricky draw, with a possible quarter-final against Andy Murray but would probably need to bypass his countryman David Ferrer in the fourth round.
Nadal insists, regardless of the calibre of his opponent, that he must focus on adapting from clay and playing to his strengths.
“Playing on clay, obviously when I had the feeling I was playing at my best, the feeling is I have time for everything, and I have the possibility to play tactically. I had the possibility to play with different styles, to be aggressive, more defensive. That makes me feel under control almost all the time,” added the 14-time Grand Slam champion.
“On grass is a different story. On grass, the feeling is you have to be very focused all the games, every point. You cannot have two mistakes in a row, or three mistakes in a row with your serve because almost you lose a set.
“So it’s a big difference and a good chance to go to the net more. It’s a good chance to do different things that you are not doing very often on the tour. I’ll try to have fun with that.”
