The Spaniard Rafael Nadal opened the center court at Wimbledon in a training set against the Italian Matteo Berretini, in which the Spaniard fell 6-4.
Nadal continued to add minutes to his backpack against one of the best rivals you can have on this surface. Berrettini has accumulated nine consecutive wins on grass, coming from winning the Queen’s and Stuttgart titles and holding a record of 31-3 since 2019 on this surface, in addition to having reached the Wimbledon final in 2021 and winning Queen’s 2021 and Stuttgart 2019.
The Spaniard had the honor of being the first this year to step on the Tennis Cathedral, after the organization decided that tennis players could train in it the week before the start of the tournament to settle the grass.
This has been done with the idea that the surface is not as slippery as it was last year, when tennis players like Serena Williams and Adrian Mannarino suffered serious injuries and there were many falls in the first rounds. Traditionally, the center court was inaugurated on the Saturday before the start of Wimbledon, with a friendly doubles match between two members of the club, who were invited by lottery.
Later, the defending champions will open the game on her, in this case Novak Djokovic, who has won the last three editions of the contest. As Ashleigh Barty is not there, it is yet to be decided who will debut her in the girls’ box.
In the training set, Berrettini scored the victory thanks to a break in favor with 3-3 on the scoreboard that he held until the end with his powerful serve.
This was the second exercise session of the day for Nadal, who previously trained on one of the tracks at Aorangi Park alongside Francis Roig and Marc López. It was a light training session, with a view to Berrettini’s match, and after beating Stan Wawrinka yesterday in the Hurlingham exhibition.
The Spaniard will play again this Friday against the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in Hurlingham, in what will be his last preparatory match before the start of Wimbledon. In addition, Nadal will play that match already knowing his first rival and his path in the tournament, since the draw will take place at 10 am in London this Friday. EFE
