World no. 4 Rafael Nadal advanced to the quarterfinal at Wimbledon on Monday, defeating Botic van de Zandschulp of The Netherlands in straight sets. The win earned Nadal his eighth career trip to a Wimbledon quarterfinal, where he'll face off with American Taylor Fritz. After a three-year layoff at the storied tourney, the 2022 French Open champ got honest on what it meant to him personally, per The Tennis Podcast.
Nadal, who often shies away from celebrating himself, said that being in the Wimbledon quarterfinal makes him “very, very happy” after not being able to play at the All-England Club for three years.
The 14-time French Open champ and 22-time Grand Slam winner was last seen at Wimbledon in 2019 in a blast-from-the-past match against Roger Federer. The tournament was then canceled in 2020 due to the global pandemic, with Nadal bowing out of last year's installment, citing physical concerns.
Nadal showed a bit of rust in his first two matches at the All-England Club this year, dropping a set in each. However, the Spaniard has sharpened his play since, defeating each of Lorenzo Sonego and van de Zandschulp in straight sets.
The win makes Nadal a perfect 18-0 at the Grand Slams this year, after he took home the trophy at both the Australian Open and the French.
However, he'll be facing a tough test in the Wimbledon quarterfinal against Fritz. As Nadal jokingly pointed out, Fritz won the first Masters 1000 title of his career earlier this year against Rafa in a stunner at Indian Wells.
Rafa will be ready for the challenge. For now, he's grateful to be back at Wimbledon.