"At the moment, I am healthy enough to continue and fight for what I want" - Rafael Nadal sends warning shot to opponents after reaching Wimbledon quarterfinals
Rafael Nadal has sent a major warning shot to the other seven players remaining in the Wimbledon draw, saying that he feels healthy enough at the moment to make an earnest push towards the title in the coming days.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion did not need long to dispose of Botic van de Zandschulp in the fourth round on Monday, defeating him 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(6) without breaking a sweat.
@Wimbledon TOO STRONG 💪
@RafaelNadal makes his 8th quarter-final at Wimbledon with a 6-4 6-2 7-6 win over Van De Zandschulp!
🎥 @Wimbledon
https://t.co/MdCgpS08hR
Although the Mallorcan made things harder for himself in the third set with a slight lapse in concentration, he soon recovered to wrap things up in the tie-break and reach the last eight relatively fresh.
Speaking at his press conference afterward, the 36-year-old was asked about how he felt fitness-wise going into the important stages of the tournament, a question he dismissed with impunity.
Nadal's record in the Grand Slam this season:
7 wins - 0 defeats on hard
7 wins - 0 defeats on clay
4 wins - 0 defeats on grass
God save the King 🤴 https://t.co/V9sjHqQ263
Declaring that he was "tired" of constantly talking about himself and his problems, the World No. 4 remarked that he was going to give his opponents the due respect they deserve and give his best on the tennis court no matter what.
“I'm tired of talking about my body, tired of myself and all the problems I have. I prefer not to talk about it. I'm in the middle of a tournament and I have to continue. All respect for my rivals," Nadal said. "I am trying to give my best every day. At the moment I am healthy enough to continue and fight for what I want."
The former World No. 1 was proud of himself for having made it to the quarterfinals at SW19, stating that he has put in a lot of physical and mental effort to make it possible. Although he was happy with the achievement, Nadal set his goals much higher, hoping that he can now take the steps needed to move further forward in the hunt for his third Wimbledon title.
“I made a great effort to be here. It takes a lot of physical and mental effort to play this tournament after how things have been in the last couple of months. I hadn't played for three years and I wanted to come back here. That's why it means so much to me to be in the quarterfinals," Nadal said. "It's not easy to make the transition, especially after not playing here in a while. Now is the time to take steps forward if I want to continue having opportunities."
The Spaniard had nothing but positives to take away from his match against the Dutchman, commenting that he was personally satisfied with the high level of tennis he displayed on the night.
"Two days ago I played at a high level for the first time. Today, for much of the match, I was at a positive level. I'm happy for that. It gives me the opportunity to have one more day tomorrow to train and improve things to move forward," Nadal said. "The improvement during the tournament is there. I am happy to return to the quarterfinals after three years without playing here. It's a positive result for me."
"He will be a difficult opponent, but we are in the quarterfinals, so you can't expect an easy opponent" - Rafael Nadal ahead of his clash against Taylor Fritz
Following his victory over Botic van de Zandschulp, Rafael Nadal will lock horns with Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The American had an easy outing in the fourth round too, beating qualifier Jason Kubler in straight sets.
DOMINANT Nadal!
Rafa reaches 47th Grand Slam quarter-final beating easily Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-4 6-2 7-6.
He faces Taylor Fritz for a revenge of Indian Wells final. https://t.co/KeMug21C4L
The head-to-head between the duo is tied at 1-1, with Fritz winning their most recent encounter in the final of the Indian Wells Masters earlier this year. The Spaniard did not think it was that much of a psychological disadvantage for him, remarking at the press conference that the end result was more affected by his own injury troubles at the tournament.
"I didn't learn much from [previous match against Taylor Fritz] because I came in with a rib injury and the pain was horrible," Nadal said. "I didn't know what he had during the match, but I knew something was wrong, very wrong during the match. It was too much pain."
'What I learned about the match against Fritz was zero because I had a stress fracture on my rib... and the pain was terrible.' https://t.co/WuS3z7g238
The 22-time Grand Slam champion was wary about his chances against the World No. 14 this time around, adding that Fritz is in great form. Despite the 24-year-old playing some good tennis at the tournament so far, the former World No. 1 looked forward to having a shot at revenge against him on Wednesday.
"It is obvious that he is playing at a very high level, having a great season, winning games on all surfaces. He won a tournament the week before Wimbledon, now in the quarterfinals," Nadal said. "He is in a privileged position. He will be a difficult opponent, but we are in the quarter-finals, so you can't expect an easy opponent."