Clay king Nadal could opt out of Wimbledon to let body recover
RAFAEL Nadal is weighing up his options ahead of Wimbledon following his latest French Open triumph.
The Spaniard claimed his 11th Roland Garros title with a 6-4 6-3 6-2 victory over Austria’s Dominic Thiem on Sunday.
But the transition from clay to grass has caused Nadal problems in the past, with injuries hampering his recent Wimbledon bids.
The 32-year-old, still World No.1 following his Paris success, is scheduled to play in the Fever-Tree Championships, which begins next week.
However, he said: “I’ve had a long and mentally tough claycourt season because I played almost all matches possible after coming off an injury. It was a demanding two months for me.
“Now I have to speak with my team and decide what’s better for my body. That’s the main thing.
“I would love to be playing in as many places as possible, but I need to check how I feel in the next couple of days.
“It’s a drastic change from clay to grass. I did it in the past when I was much younger, quicker, because I played back to back.
“But now I must check how I feel in the next couple of days.”
Sunday’s victory took Nadal’s Grand Slam total to 17, three behind Roger Federer.
The 36-year-old Swiss star is likely to be favourite to add to his tally at Wimbledon, and Nadal insists he is not concerned about overhauling his great rival.
He added: “You can’t be frustrated if somebody has more money, a bigger house, more Slams.
“You can’t live with that feeling. I would love to have 20 in the future, or even more, but it is not in my mind.”