Wimbledon 2013: Rafael Nadal likes break time

While his rivals have been playing in warm-up events, Rafael Nadal comes into Wimbledon ‘cold’ after deciding to rest in the fortnight since winning the French Open.

So the Spaniard is pleased that from 2015 the break between those Grand Slams will be extended to three weeks, giving everyone the chance to take a break and get some competitive action on grass-courts.

“The new calendar is great because, in the end, the players who will play at Roland Garros into the late stages will have a little bit better chance of preparing well for a very, very important tournament like Wimbledon.”

Nadal is seeded fifth — the same position he is in the world rankings — meaning he might have to beat Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic if he is to claim his 13th Grand Slam title.

“I don’t see Roger and Andy before the quarter-finals and semi-finals and I have a long way to work before that,” said Nadal, who was facing Belgian Steve Darcis today.

“I didn’t play a lot on grass during the last couple of years, so I really take care about myself and about the first round. I don’t think about the other things.”