Watch: Rafael Nadal practices on grass in Mallorca ahead of expected Wimbledon announcement on Friday
Rafael Nadal and his fans have a lot to cheer about this week. On Wednesday, the Spaniard was seen practicing on the grasscourts at the Mallorca Country Club in Santa Ponca. All the indications are that Nadal is getting closer to his intended participation at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
There is also the news of his impending fatherhood, with reports suggesting his wife Maria Xisca Perello is pregnant with their first child. And just a day after the 22-time Grand Slam champion greeted fans - who congratulated him on his upcoming fatherhood - a video has emerged of Nadal involved in an intense tennis sparring session.
That said, there has been no official confirmation yet of his Wimbledon plans.
In the video, Nadal can be seen hitting a few backhands and ripping some of his trademark forehands. Most importantly, he seemed to be moving swiftly without any visible discomfort.
Less than a week ago, Nadal received treatment for his injured left foot. As per a report by Ultima Hora, Wednesday's training was more than just a test to see whether his foot was holding up well after treatment (which involved radiofrequency ablation to the nerve). It was, instead, an intense training session that went on for nearly 2.5 hours.
This piece on yesterday's practice is very positive. Rafa not only tested his foot but trained intensively for 2.5h [his young partner could hardly cope w/Rafa's shots] Treatment seems to be working. Let's hear from Rafa tomorrow
"Nadal aims at Wimbledon" ultimahora.es/deportes/tenis…
Rafael Nadal rallied on-court with his coach Carlos Moya and upcoming Spanish talent Martin Landaluce. Onlookers confirmed that the weight of Nadal's shots was too much to take for Landaluce at times. The two-time Wimbledon champion worked on numerous aspects of his game during the session.
Certain Spanish media outlets have also reported that Nadal is set to make an announcement regarding his Wimbledon participation in a press conference on Friday. If all goes well, he could travel to London early next week, in time for the start of the tournament the following Monday.
Alguien pisa la hierba en Mallorca... 👀🌿
📸 @MallorcaChamps | @RafaelNadal https://t.co/RybidlYpG6
A look back at Rafael Nadal's last Wimbledon campaign, back in 2019
Rafael Nadal's last appearance at Wimbledon came in 2019. The tournament was cancelled in 2020, and in 2021 the Mallorcan withdrew due to the same foot injury he is facing now.
Back in 2019, Nadal entered the tournament as the third seed and began his campaign with a straight sets (6-3, 6-1, 6-3) win over Japan's Yuichi Sugita.
His next match was a challenging one, against Nick Kyrgios. In a hard-fought and intense battle, the Spaniard came through 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4) to set up a third-round clash against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Nadal easily navigated that challenge with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win, before beating Portuguese player Joao Sousa in the fourth round with a similar scoreline (6-2, 6-2, 6-2). He then overcame big-serving American Sam Querrey in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2, to set up a 40th career meeting with Roger Federer.
Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon champion, ended Nadal's campaign with a 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. The two tennis greats have not faced each other since that match.
Top 6 seeds pretty much set for Wimbledon if Nadal plays:
1. Djokovic
2. Nadal
3. Ruud
4. Tsitsipas
5. Alcaraz
6. Auger-Aliassime
Berrettini, 2021 runner up, needs to reach the final at the Queen's to be a top 8 seed.