Rafael Nadal may have lost in the opening round at Queen’s Club but there’s still enough reason to believe the Spaniard could have a better run at Wimbledon compared to the past three years.
Since losing the final to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2011, Nadal has had four wins and three losses in SW19 over his last three trips there, losing in the second round to Lukas Rosol in 2012, falling to Steve Darcis in the opening round in 2013 and getting stopped by Nick Kyrgios’ explosive serve in the fourth round last year.
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Between 2012 and 2014, he contested just 10 matches in total on grass and lost half of them.
Many believe Nadal’s days of triumphing on this surface are well behind him but it still feels like a hasty verdict.
You don’t just forget how to play on a surface on which you’ve made five grand slam finals and have won two of them.
Nadal’s coach and uncle, Toni, said this week that for the first time in four years his nephew will be heading to Wimbledon feeling 100 per cent fit.
Nadal Sr. said that knee problems hampered his student’s grass campaigns in previous years because he was unable to get to the low-bouncing balls. But that does not seem to be the case this year.
Nadal and his uncle have both declared his knee troubles have subsided so far this season and the Mallorcan’s title run on the lawns of Stuttgart earlier this month has given sufficient proof that he can still triumph on grass.
Nadal was serving and moving well at the German grass event and just like Andy Murray gained confidence from winning on clay in Munich prior to the French Open, Stuttgart could end up having a similar effect on Nadal.
The early loss at Queen’s was clearly a setback but the luck of the draw was not in Nadal’s favour as he faced a tough opener against someone as tricky and unorthodox as Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Uncle Toni said that Nadal’s main struggles this season have been related to his mental strength and that the lack of confidence has affected his decision-making and execution on the court.
The Spanish coach concedes that Nadal’s confidence is not at its peak because, for the first time in 11 years, he will head to Wimbledon without winning a grand slam title in the preceding months – having relinquished his reign at Roland Garros.
But winning in Paris has not done him much good at Wimbledon over the last three seasons.
Unlike 2012, 2013 and 2014, Nadal has not only won a title on grass heading into the action at the All England Club, he also has an extra week to practice on the turf since Wimbledon has been pushed back by seven days this season.
Many believe Nadal’s days of triumphing on this surface are well behind him but it still feels like a hasty verdict
If confidence is Nadal’s main hindrance at the moment, then focusing on the positives from Stuttgart and getting through a couple of early rounds at Wimbledon can help him significantly.
Which is why the draw could make a huge difference for Nadal at SW19 next week.
Facing big servers is tough for everyone on grass but especially for Nadal, who has shown major vulnerabilities against these type of players on this surface.
A good week of practice in London and a kind draw that doesn’t pit him against serving monsters early on could end up making a massive difference for him and can get him back in the mix for the title.
