Two of the biggest names in the sporting world are Spanish star Rafael Nadal and the legendary Serena Williams. Over the years, these supremely gifted athletes have thrilled fans from all over the world with their performances at various events, especially the Wimbledon Championships.
Besides entertaining the crowds, they have transformed themselves to such stature that youngsters look up to them as role models.? Recently, the Spaniard and the American player were seen in Paris at the French Open 2021. Unfortunately, they did not win the competition and anything less than winning the title is considered a disappointment for players of their caliber.
Now that the focus has shifted towards the grass-court events, the Wimbledon Championships is the tournament that players will dream of winning.
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Usually, prior to the third Grand Slam of the calendar year, players take part in the warm-up events in order to get familiar with the grass-court conditions. However, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have decided to skip the warm-up events and focus instead on the Wimbledon Championships.?
Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal want to rest prior to the Wimbledon Championships
These two athletes have been involved in a lot of tennis tournaments lately. This year, the French Open was postponed by a week later, and the schedule has gotten cramped. So with little time ahead of the Championships, the veterans have decided to skip the warm-up events to give their bodies the adequate amount of rest.?
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To add to the matter, players living in different parts of the world have to undergo quarantine protocols depending on the city they are living in. On this, Serena stated, “However, I don’t think I’m playing a prep tournament at Wimbledon. I’ll take a few days, go home and then get ready for London. I need to quarantine, so I’ll have to move pretty fast.”
On the other hand, Rafa has been involved in a hectic schedule over the past couple of months. He has featured in every clay-court event since Monte Carlo and was most recently seen at the French Open. The Spaniard played some physically and mentally exhausting matches.?
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Therefore, these players deciding to skip the pre-Wimbledon tournament is understandable. These are such versatile players that shifting gears and adjusting to different surfaces is simply a matter of time of them. It will be interesting to see how Rafa and Serena perform at the Wimbledon Championships 2021.?
Watch this story: How Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Others Travel