Rafael Nadal is going to Wimbledon to ‘try to win,’ but coach Franciso Roig says he is only the third favourite to take the title.
Nadal has been battling a degenerative foot injury and required injections to ‘put his foot to sleep’ during the French Open.
He won that tournament, his 14th crown at Roland Garros,’ but immediately said afterwards he would be skipping Wimbledon unless he could find a better solution.
That better solution has arrived in the form of radiofrequency therapy – a course of injections designed to dull the pain receptors in the affected area.
It has proven to be successful and Nadal is currently in London fine-tuning his Wimbledon preparations, but fitness coach Roig continues to try to curb expectations.
“Rafa has to go to Wimbledon because he feels good and the treatment so far has worked. He is going to try to win,” Roig told Spanish outlet COPE.
“The pressure is always there. His feelings have always been good.
“With Rafa you aspire to everything. The favourites are Novak Djokovic, Matteo Berrettini and Rafa, in this order.
“If we reach the second week, Rafa will be ahead of Berrettini.”
Earlier this week, Roig told the press in Mallorca that Nadal is in good shape for the tournament, saying: “Physically he is fine.
“Last week was positive and that is why I really wanted to come here. We have to go slowly and find the mechanisms that allow you to feel good on court.
“There are totally different dynamics (on grass). We do not come from playing any tournament on this surface.
“In the past we used to play some tournaments on this surface, but now we come straight here.”
Author’s comment: It’s brilliant news for everyone that Nadal is seemingly over his immediate foot problems and is playing with without pain again, or at least with it reduced to manageable levels.
He and his team cannot have it both ways, though. They can’t tell the world he is ‘fine’ and ‘only’ Rafa could do that as his coach and doctor have AND claim his injury should temper expectations.
Rafael Nadal is brilliant, possibly the most brilliant the sport has ever seen. If he is in a tournament and ‘feeling good,’, he is a top favourite.
Matteo Berrettini, with every ounce of respect, would admit that himself. In fact he already has.
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