"Rafa puts himself in the present moment better than anyone ever before" - Wilander on Nadal's Wimbledon run
ATP
Rafael Nadal didn’t seem likely to challenge for many Grand Slams in recent times but the Spaniard has won two already this year and will be hoping to add another one at Wimbledon.
Nadal is enjoying a fantastic 2022 season as the Spaniard has won both Grand Slams that have been played so far. It’s not something many fans saw coming, certainly not what happened in Australia, but he’s earned every piece of silverware he won this year.
The Australian Open run was iconic but also lucky as Novak Djokovic was deported from the country, and Daniil Medvedev lost a huge lead in the final of the tournament.
Nadal’s Roland Garros run, however, was very impressive as it included a win over Djokovic. When it comes to Wimbledon, he could certainly win it as well, albeit his chances are much lower than at the other two because grass has always been his worst surface.
Djokovic’s dominance on the surface in recent years doesn’t make it any easier, but Nadal has yet to lose on the surface this year. Former ATP player and noted analyst Mats Wilander spoke about Nadal’s chances at Wimbledon after seeing him play at the event.
The Spaniard's physical side is not a problem, according to Wilander, but the mental side is what he keeps wondering about.
"I think physically it's not a big problem. He can play or he can not play. Obviously, he says he's an injured player, but he's not injured at the moment. Mentally, I have no idea. Every match looks like every point he plays with 100% intensity. He's always trying to play every point the right way."— <br>
"He respects his opponents so much that he puts himself in the present moment. Most probably, better than anyone ever before. But of course Roger and Novak are right there with him."— <br>
"But there's something humble about his approach to the match and his opponent that just shows so much respect to the sport and his opponent."
Latest Comments
- Kyrgios will do anything to stay in the news.shirley19-12-2024
- A technical error.
MrMustard18-12-2024 - All that is said , all that is done. Nick has 0 grand slams wins. Everything else is hot 🥵 air.MrMustard18-12-2024
- All that is said , all that isMrMustard18-12-2024
- Kyrgios is a jerk.shirley17-12-2024
- If Jessica Pegula had to undergo such horror for using a bannes substance, so do these two tennis players. Penalty should apply to all players regardless of their excuses. They are professionals and know better!!
Stella112-12-2024 - All players should be treated the same for taking banned substances, if your no 1 in the world or no 300 man or woman you should not be allowed to keep playing,,VPH108-12-2024
- Ah, censored again. No one gets to read my comment. LOLjjluvsports08-12-2024
- Reynolds, could you list all the wars started by the U.S. and U.K., or will you run out of paper? Hypocrisy.jjluvsports06-12-2024
- IDK, it looks like to me that Raducanu should praise herself and her team for 'gaming the system' as in playing the points and ranking game. When you look at her season of wild cards, skipping tournaments (including the Paris Olympics!), retiring from losing matches and avoiding qualifying rounds, it seems like there was some plan to move up the ranks without actually playing a lot of tennis. And it worked! Congrats!RealityCheckers04-12-2024