Nadal unsure of Wimbledon appearance
Rafael Nadal has cast doubt on his participation at Wimbledon, saying he needs to see how his body recovers after a long clay-court campaign culminated in an 11th French Open title.
Two of the Spaniard's 17 Grand Slam titles came on the All England Club's lawns, but the 32-year-old has struggled to make an impact there in recent years.
"Difficult for me to think about it now. I had a long and mentally tough clay court season, of course, because I played almost all the matches possible after coming from an injury.
"So it was a demanding two months for me," Nadal said, after his 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Dominic Thiem in Paris.
Nadal, who also won the titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome this year, is entered for the Queen's Club warm-up tournament starting next week, but says he will consult with his team, including coach Carlos Moya, over the next few days.
"I would love to be playing in as many places as possible, but you understand I need to check how I feel in the next couple of days," Nadal said.
"Of course, it's a drastic change from clay to grass. I did it in the past when I was much younger, quicker, because I played back to back."
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, the world No. 2, skipped the clay-court season to concentrate on Wimbledon, where he will be going for a ninth title.
Nadal spent several months away from the tour after sustaining an injury at this year's Australian Open and could, like Federer, decide that his long-term interests are best-served by sparing his body further punishment.
It is common knowledge that the lower-bouncing ball on grass puts extra strain on the knees that have bothered him at times throughout his career.
Yet Nadal also knows he could be a threat after playing impressively last year before falling in the last 16, losing a classic tussle against Luxembourg's Gilles Muller.
"Last year, I felt that I had a good opportunity to go far in the tournament. I felt myself playing well on grass last year," the Spaniard said.
NO DESIRE
Nadal also added that he has no desire to become locked into an arms race with Federer to surpass his great rival's 20 Grand Slam titles.
Nadal, who is three behind, said such targets do not concern him, believing his caution is well-placed after an injury-hit career which has seen him sit out nine Grand Slam tournaments.
"I have never been crazy about this kind of stuff," said Nadal. "You can't always be frustrated if somebody has more money than you, a bigger house than you, if somebody has more Grand Slams than you.
"You can't live with this feeling. "Of course, I would love to have 20 like Roger in the future or even more but it's not something that is on my mind."
- REUTERS, AFP
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