Will Rafael Nadal play Wimbledon? Has he recovered from his foot injury? What's his upcoming schedule?
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Published 20/06/2022 at 21:56 GMT
Rafael Nadal is set to play at the Hurlingham Club on Wednesday as he prepares for a first appearance at Wimbledon since 2019. Nadal had minor surgery following his momentous win at the French Open last month as he sought to improve his long-standing foot injury. Can he somehow win in SW19 to keep the calendar slam alive?
'Walking without a limp means I can try to play Wimbledon' - Nadal on injuries
Once again, it looks like Rafael Nadal will defy the odds to make his first appearance at Wimbledon in three years.
Nadal revealed after his French Open win last month that he had won the tournament with an anaesthetised foot, but after undergoing a radiofrequency procedure in Spain he has been back on the practice courts in Majorca ahead of a tilt at the Wimbledon crown.
We take a look at what Nadal's short grass-court season might look like as he seeks to keep alive the miracle prospect of a calendar slam - something great rival Novak Djokovic fell just short of last year.
WHAT IS NADAL'S UPCOMING SCHEDULE?
Nadal has confirmed that he will play the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club in West London, which runs from June 21-26. Nadal's first match is due to be on Wednesday against Stan Wawrinka. Prior to his arrival in London, Nadal had spent a few days practicing on grass at the venue for the Mallorca Championships, an ATP 250 event that is also running this week.
Nadal will head straight for Wimbledon following his appearance at Hurlingham, with his first-round match set for either June 27 or 28, depending on the draw.
HAS NADAL RECOVERED FROM INJURY?
Nadal has said that he is "not injured", but that he "has an injury", in the sense that he is living with an incurable, chronic foot issue - namely Mueller-Weiss syndrome. It causes Nadal intermittent, varying levels of pain, but his latest surgery seems to have reduced the pain enough so that he can practice more freely.
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'I so hope Nadal can be there on grass' - Henman and Wilander on his Wimbledon chances
That said, it could flare up at any moment and the unpredictability of the injury perhaps helps Nadal to treat each one of his matches as if it might be his last.
CAN NADAL WIN WIMBLEDON?
Having won the first two majors of 2022, Nadal will certainly enter the tournament as one of the favourites. However, grass is not his preferred surface and is not as conducive to his heavy topspin game.
But he has won the SW19 title twice before, and you wouldn't bet against him getting into the second week. From there, anything could happen.
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Watch daily highlights from Wimbledon at 10pm on Eurosport 2 and discovery+ from June 27, as well as the two singles finals live on July 9 and 10.
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