Rafael Nadal has been proclaimed as "one of the favorites" to win the 2022 Wimbledon Championships by his former coach and uncle, Toni Nadal.
Toni Nadal has nurtured Rafael Nadal from a very young age and knows him better than anybody else. He is the man responsible for charting Nadal's path into tennis history.
Although their professional partnership ended a few seasons ago, Toni Nadal has always been there to give his nephew nuggets of wisdom when he wants to and has never spoken ill of him, even when he coached a different ATP player in Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The 61-year-old was the first person from Nadal's inner circle to reveal an upbeat message about the 22-time Grand Slam champion's presence at Wimbledon after he recovered from a foot injury.
Uncle Toni recently appeared on a radio show in Mallorca to talk about Nadal's prospects for Wimbledon. He explained that treatment in Barcelona has been responsive and positive, and he's convinced that he will challenge for the title.
Nadal already won the first two Grand Slams in 2022: the Australian Open and, more recently, Roland Garros. Although he has not reached the final of Wimbledon since 2011, he will be feeling confident after an undefeated Grand Slam run this year.
"Rafa is fine, the treatment is working. Rafa is quite happy and we are confident in the fact that things go well. I think he will be one of the favorites, even if the main favorite is still Djokovic, and you have to keep an eye on Berrettini and Hurkacz. If Rafa is lucky enough to pass the first week, he’ll be competitive in the second."
He further added that Nadal generally prefers to rest and only practice the week before a major, which is why he opted against playing the ATP 250 in Mallorca.
So far, he has practiced at Wimbledon and will be waiting to see who he will play in the opening match when the draw is made.