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Rafael Nadal heads straight to Wimbledon after 12th French Open triumphBy Evening Standard

Rafael Nadal will not play any tournaments before Wimbledon but does not believe that will hamper his chances of success.

The Spaniard, who won his 12th French Open title here yesterday by beating Dominic Thiem, could have requested a wild card into next week’s Fever-Tree Championships.

However, he said on Sunday he would not play any tournaments before his bid for a third title at Wimbledon, which starts in three weeks.

Nadal, 33, is encouraged by his performances at SW19 in the last two years, despite not having had any competitive matches on grass under his belt. He was beaten in five sets in the fourth round two years ago and lost a marathon semi-final to Novak Djokovic last summer.

“I felt competitive the last couple of years, so why would I need to change that?” said Nadal, who is expected instead to practise in Mallorca at the women’s grass-court tournament held next week.

“What gives me a better chance is being healthy rather than playing a lot of matches before.”