Rafael Nadal to skip Wimbledon warm-ups again, he confirms after French Open triumph

Wimbledon
Rafael Nadal in action

Rafael Nadal says he will not play any grass-court warm-ups ahead of Wimbledon, insisting his usual routine is one that works for him.

Nadal won his 12th French Open title on Sunday, beating Dominic Thiem for the second successive year in the final.

However, after picking up his trophy, he dismissed suggestions he may part with his usual method of minimal build-up for SW19 as he believes rest will be of far greater benefit to him.

“Why do I need to change that?” Nadal asked reporters who put the question to him.

“What gives me a better chance is to be healthy than playing a lot of matches.”

Nadal has a fine record at Wimbledon, winning it twice, in 2008 and 2010, and finishing runner-up a further three times, although his last appearance in a final was 8 years ago. Last year his bid was ended in the semi-finals by eventual winner Novak Djokovic.

“I know I played a great event last year,” he added. “I have been able to be very close to win another title there.

“As everybody knows, I love to play on grass. And as everybody knows, I am not able to play so many weeks in a row like I did 10 years ago, eight years ago.

“So I will not play before Wimbledon. The experience says that having the right preparation then, practicing well, and maybe a couple of matches, I don’t know, before there.

“Honestly, the last two years that I played in Wimbledon, I felt close again. Last year I was one point away to the final.”

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