Rafael Nadal is into the quarterfinal of 2022 Wimbledon. Meanwhile, his coach Francisco Roig has dubbed him a favourite to win the final.
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal of Spain has progressed to the quarterfinal of the Wimbledon 2022, where he will face Taylor Fritz of the United States of America (USA) on Wednesday. Nadal was coming into the tournament after a brief injury layoff, which saw him undergo leg treatment in Mallorca after winning his record-extending 14th French Open title in May. Although he was not a favourite coming into the tournament, he has exceeded the expectations of himself, fans and his coach. At the same time, his coach Francisco Roig feels that the Spaniard is now the favourite to win his third Wimbledon title.
"It's [progress] good. We managed to train a lot; there were a couple of days when we almost played for four hours. When we got here, the first thing was to be able to compete. He arrived here unsure about his foot treatment in Mallorca, even though it went well for him," Roig told ATP.
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"The goal was to keep playing better every day. Now we're in that situation. Given how last-minute it was, we can be happy after three years without playing on grass. So far, we're doing well. When we arrived, we weren't thinking about winning, but now he is among the favourites," added Roig.
Regarding the challenge Nadal faces against Fritz, Roig gauged, "Taylor is an up-and-coming player. His game has progressed significantly; he's had his best results recently. Now he hits the ball quite well, and maybe before, he struggled with mobility. Today, he moves much better, which is why his ranking has increased. He's very dangerous on grass. He hits the ball hard. We'll have to have a great day."