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Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal has talked about the chance to win a calendar Grand Slam this year. While he has already won the Australian Open as well as the French Open, he made this remark ahead of the Wimbledon. While speaking at the pre-tournament press conference in Spain, he addressed the difficulty of this challenge and talked about Rod Laver, the last player to complete the Grand Slam.
Rafael Nadal also praised his rival Novak Djokovic who came close to completing the Grand Slam last year. He said, “On the men’s tour, nobody has done the Grand Slam since Rod Laver. Novak Djokovic came closest last year. If it’s rarely been done, it’s difficult to contemplate, even more so at 36 years of age.”
He then addressed his plans heading into the second half of the year when key tournaments in the North American region are scheduled. He said, "My intention is to travel to London on Monday, play two matches, and follow my normal schedule to prepare for Wimbledon. Today it’s all I can say. I’m positive, happy with the feelings.”
“My logic is to play first the Masters 1000 in Canada, and then take stock. Generally, I do well here and I don’t like to change what works well. You know that things are not predictable for me. I’m ready to accept things as they will come and take the best decisions possible.”
I’ll do my best to arrive well prepared there: Nadal
“I’m a pro tennis player, so I’m following the pro tennis calendar tour and, at least for me, the Grand Slams are the landmarks. The stage after Wimbledon will be the US Open so I’ll do my best to arrive well prepared there. If you look at my recent track records there, there were issues with my physical state that didn’t let me operate like I wanted to,” he continued.
I hope I can use it to get competitive: Nadal
Rafael Nadal also addressed the fact that he hasn’t played on grass over the last three years. He said, “I haven’t played on grass for three years, you have to be patient with the progress. Every day I’ve improved and there is one week left of training in London before starting the tournament. I hope I can use it to get competitive," he said.