After beating Francisco Cerundolo in the first round of Wimbledon, his first match on grass for three years, Rafael Nadal retreated to the courts of Aorangi Park for a one-hour session to prepare for his next outing at the tournament; a second-round clash with Ricardas Berankis.

Accompanied by Francis Roig and Marc Lopez, two of his coaches, the 22-time Grand Slam champion continued working on his transition to the surface, with one eye on the challenges that await him at the All England Tennis Club.

At 36 years of age and having captured his 14th Roland Garros crown, Nadal underwent two pulsed radiofrequency sessions in an effort to combat Muller-Weiss syndrome, a dysplasia of the tarsal navicular he has suffered from since 2005 in his left foot.

He did so with a clear goal: to continue playing, to keep having chances, to fight to extend one of the greatest careers in the history of the sport. And, of course, to return to Wimbledon, a place that holds a special place in his career.

“That tells me that he really wanted to play on grass again because his game was in great shape,” Roig told ATPTour.com in London. “He had a monkey on his back. Obviously, as long as he is competing for Grand Slams he’ll keep playing. He enjoys it and he likes competing.

“Of course, his intensity and desire continue to surprise me. His professionalism in training and how quickly he recovers his level after being injured. I’ve been seeing it since he was little, but the way he overcomes adversity… it hasn’t been affected by age.”

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It is no surprise that Nadal wanted to compete at The All England Lawn Tennis Club again. The World No. 4 played in five consecutive finals at SW19 from 2006 to 2011, winning titles in 2008 and 2010.

“He had a few years when he didn’t play well on grass, but if he’s playing well, there are fewer opponents that can beat him on grass than on hard courts,” admitted Roig. “Likewise, I think he’s closer to Djokovic on this surface than on hard courts. Both are still difficult, and taking into account that he is the favourite, there is more chance of beating him here.

“There is no choice but to be aggressive at certain times, and that helps him. Against Federer he was too conservative last time, in 2019. I told him ‘If Federer hits four flat backhands at you in a row we won’t win, but if you make him cut the ball… you have a chance of winning.”

Nadal has now started out on that road to victory, opening with a hard-fought four-set win over Argentine Cerundolo on Tuesday.

“After three years without playing on grass, he took the lead without playing great tennis,” explained Roig. “In the second set, he played better, doing more damage with the ball. At a break up, he lost control of the match, lost the third, and the fourth was difficult. But after three years without playing on grass, and in a first round, it’s fine.”

For that reason, Nadal is now focused on reaffirming his muscle memory for the surface, which will help him when the moment of truth arrives.

“There’s a long way to go, but it will come from match situations,” offered Roig. “For example, hitting the ball softly and trusting that it will do what you want. Choosing which kind of shots you can attack. Having better touch and making the points as short as possible. Turning to the right and being able to play to the opponent’s backhand. A little bit of everything, but I’m sure he will gradually fine-tune it all.”

When the opportunity to work with Marian Vajda arose, Alex Molcan pounced.

At the end of last season, Vajda’s longterm partnership with Novak Djokovic came to an end. During their 15 years together, the pair captured 85 tour-level titles, while the Slovakian earned the ATP Coach of the Year award in 2018.

With one of the most impressive resumés on Tour, demand for Vajda was high. However, due to his Slovakian roots, Molcan had an edge and with a bit of luck, their partnership was born.

“It was pretty lucky how it came about,” Molcan told ATPTour.com. “When I heard that he was finished with Djokovic, we started to speak about things. At the start, it was just speaking about a few things. Then we met again and again and now we are working together, alongside my other coach Karol Beck. It was pretty lucky, but I am really happy and excited that this has happened.”

 

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Since teaming in May, Molcan has continued his impressive development. The 24-year-old enjoyed a run to his second tour-level final in Lyon, while he defeated Pedro Martinez on his Wimbledon debut to set a second-round meeting against American Marcos Giron.

“It is amazing to work with him,” Molcan said. “There are so many things that he knows, so he can tell me lots. He is an incredible coach and extremely professional. We are all learning from him.”

For Molcan’s development, Vajda’s experience and know-how are invaluable. However, the World No. 51 revealed that despite his success, the Slovakian coach is also learning from him and Beck as they look to bounce off each other and form a formidable team.

“Even though he was with Djokovic before, he can learn new things. He won’t say he is the best coach. He still has his feet on the ground,” Molcan said. “He is a really cool person. He is funny and extremely professional in terms of everything to do with tennis. The atmosphere within the team is working.

“He jumped on the train that was already on the way. We are working on specific things. We aren’t doing something completely different. I need to understand what he wants from me and how to execute it in matches. Both Marian and Karol are great at communicating, making it easier for me to understand. I am asking him about stuff, but he is not trying to make me play like Novak, it is about being myself.”

Away from the court, the relationship has been just as strong, with Vajda slotting comfortably into the setup.

“We have a lot of fun together. We are playing games. We are all very competitive. We played a fun game of guessing who I would play in the first round and it is really incredible as he correctly guessed I would play Martinez. We have a lot of fun and the atmosphere is incredible,” the 24-year-old said.

Molcan is aiming to break new ground this week at Wimbledon, where he is aiming to reach the second week at a major for the first time. However, with their partnership in the early stages, the Slovakian is focusing on the bigger picture as he aims to continue his climb up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“We have certain goals and we are just trying to improve my game,” said Molcan, who is 17-11 on the season after reaching the second round at SW19. “I am trying to improve my mentality because tennis is not an easy sport. It is tough out there. I want to improve many things. It keeps me motivated because I still feel I can hit my groundstrokes better and then I will be a better player. We are working hard and I feel it will be a good rest of the season.”

When the grass arrives, Alex de Minaur flourishes.

The Australian has soared to success on the English lawns in recent years, capturing the title at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne in 2021, before reaching the semi-finals at the ATP 250 event again last week.

Now, the World No. 27 is hoping for a big run at Wimbledon, where he will play home favourite Jack Draper on Thursday in the second round.

“I think the grass swing is an exciting part of the year. It is a part of the season I am always looking forward to,” De Minaur told ATPTour.com. “It is a short one, so you have to be ready for it. Whenever it comes along, it is really exciting.

“It is a surface that complements my game a fair bit. I like trying to dictate on the grass. You get a lot of help from the court, so you can try and dictate a bit more and then I try and use my movement more. I think it complements my game well with these combinations.”

When you watch De Minaur compete, his speed and agility stand out. Last year in Eastbourne, the 23-year-old won a memorable point against Soonwoo Kwon, showcasing his lightning pace as he covered every blade of grass in an all-action rally.

For De Minaur, his grass-court agility is an aspect he has worked on over the years.

“Becoming faster is something I put a lot of work in during the early days,” De Minaur said. “Until I was able to grow into my body, I wasn’t the quickest guy out there. It was a lot of work that we put in and now I just continue to work on my speed. It is a strong part [of my game].

“The movement is also completely different on grass compared to clay. You have to trust yourself with shorter steps. Stay low and in the first couple of days you feel it in your quads and even in your lower back because you are bending down a lot. On clay, everything bounces higher, you have more time. On grass, you have to be shorter and more precise. I have worked on my agility. You want to do as much as you can in those first couple of steps to push out of the corners and I think I can do that well on grass.”

In his opening match at Wimbledon on Tuesday, the 23-year-old demonstrated his flexibility, moving past Hugo Dellien in straight sets. With #NextGenATP Draper next up, the 19th seed is looking to write more historic moments into his grass-court journey that started more than 15 years ago.

“I remember I started playing on grass when I was eight. It was a situation where I said to myself that I would love this surface from the get-go,” De Minaur said. “Mentally, I always loved the grass when growing up, so I have convinced myself I am always going to play well on the grass. I always enjoy this part of the year.”

Alongside playing, De Minaur has also enjoyed watching his rivals compete on the surface. The Australian, who loves spending time in coffee shops and parks when in England, created his “perfect” grass-court player, while he revealed the former legend he would have liked to have faced on the surface.

“For the serve, I’d go with Nick [Kyrgios]. Forehand would be [Juan Martin] del Potro. Backhand, probably Novak [Djokovic]. Slice, Roger [Federer] and volley I’d go with Stefan [Edberg] to have something different,” De Minaur said.

”I would have loved to play against some of the older generations — like John McEnroe — just to see the contrast in style and see how tennis has evolved and changed,” he added. “To see how that prime era would match up against my generation.”

For De Minaur, he must stay in the present. If he can overcome home favourite Draper, he will match his 2018 run at The Championships. However, with the 20-year-old Briton holding a 31-8 record across all levels this season, the task will be far from straightforward in what could be a thrilling second-round encounter.

When Ricardas Berankis walks onto Centre Court at Wimbledon Thursday, he will take everything in.

The Lithuanian is making his ninth appearance at The Championships, but he has yet to grace the lawns on a show court at the grass-court major. However, that will change when he faces two-time champion Rafael Nadal in a “dream” second-round clash.

“It is always special to play at Wimbledon,” Berankis told ATPTour.com. “It is where tennis started. England, grass courts. It is a very special feeling. To be able to play in these tournaments against players [like] Rafa is a dream come true. I am really looking forward to the match.

“Rafa’s season has been unbelievable. The Grand Slams, in Australia and Paris. It is really impressive what he is doing.”

The 32-year-old Berankis overcame American Sam Querrey in his opening match to set his second ATP Head2Head meeting against Nadal, who won their first clash in straight sets at the Melbourne Summer Set in January.

Berankis is relishing the opportunity to have another crack at the 22-time major champion as he looks to use his Melbourne experience and his four meetings with Novak Djokovic to his benefit.

“It is going to be tough. When you step on court to play against the top guys, the speed is different,” said Berankis, who seeks his third Top 10 win. “The speed and consistency from the top players is always the same. They don’t make mistakes. You need to win the point yourself to have any chance, they give nothing to you.

“I think to keep the concentration is the hardest part and more important. When we played in Australia, I stepped on court in my first match against him and I woke up and was already 1-4 down. You need to be on it right from the beginning as you won’t get gifts.”

Berankis first played a member of the “Big Four” in 2013, when he took on Andy Murray at the Australian Open. While the 32-year-old is still excited to take on the very best, there has been a crucial change in his mentality.

“Over time my thinking has changed. It was more difficult for me around 10 years ago when I didn’t believe that I could maybe beat them. Now I am 32 and I never think that I won’t be able to beat someone,” Berankis said. “You step on court, play, enjoy and push yourself to the limit and get the best out of [yourself]. I would say my mentality at the moment is very good. I am not nervous, I just need to be focussed, as it can get away from you quickly against the top guys.

“I feel great this year. I did a big workout before coming here. I didn’t play any other grass-court tournaments, but I am feeling good on the grass.”

Berankis holds a 15-7 record across all levels this season, with his best tour-level result coming in Dubai, where he reached the quarter-finals. A key factor behind the World No. 106’s success on court is the happiness his family provides him when he is not competing.

“Overall, I am relaxed. I am hanging out and spending time with the family, my baby,” Berankis said. “I like to walk the dog, play pool with my dad and read a lot when I have a chance. It all helps me switch off.”

With his family in support, Berankis’ attention on Thursday will be purely on facing Nadal. The 13-time ATP Challenger Tour titlist is raring to show the world his fighting spirit and believes if he puts his body on the line, he will leave the court with his head held high.

“I want fans to see that I never give up. That I am always there for every point,” Berankis added. “The player to learn from is Rafa. He never gives you a point, not one.”