Rafael Nadal will have to defend his Wimbledon title this year without playing a single match on grass since his sensational victory last July.
The Spaniard’s decision to withdraw from the AEGON Championships at Queen’s Club, West London, next week has prompted fears that the knees upon which he places so much strain are in a worse state than he had been prepared to let on.
When Nadal says that he hopes to play at Wimbledon, which starts this month, it is not exactly the kind of upbeat report expected from the world No 1. “I have been having some problems in the past months with my knees, that’s no secret,” Nadal, 23, said yesterday.
“It did not allow me to compete always at 100