"Nadal is warmed up, let the magic continue" - Tennis fans react to the Spaniard's hard-fought 1R victory against Francisco Cerundolo at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal's fairytale run at Grand Slams in the 2022 season continued on its merry path as the Spaniard prevailed over Francisco Cerundolo in his Wimbledon opener. The Mallorcan looked primed to take the contest in straight sets, but a minor hiccup in the third set saw him being pushed to four sets before taking the match 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion was down a break in the fourth set at one point but reeled off four straight games to seal the win in style. With the victory, the 36-year-old became only the fifth man in the Open Era to win his first 15 Grand Slam matches of the season. In the process, he also equalled Martina Navratilova's record for the fourth-most matches won in Majors.

Signs of rust from the World No. 4 early on were only understandable, considering this is the first time he has stepped foot on grass in three years. The former World No. 1 let out a majestic roar after finishing off the encounter to signify just how much the win meant to him, a sentiment shared by his fans across the globe.

Tennis fans on social media were just as chuffed with the Spaniard's win, remarking that it was a beautiful sight to see him stamp his authority on grass. While many users on Twitter admitted that he is still not playing at his usual best, they were confident that he can find his rhythm with a couple more matches under his belt.

"Nadal is warmed up! Let the magic continue," one fan tweeted.

"That was a fight ! Well done Rafa ! Onto the next round. Step by step," another account posted.

"Rafa in 2010 had two 5 setters vs bums at Wimbledon and went on to win the title. It’s not how you play week 1. It’s getting through week 1. If he’s not playing well by R4 then I’ll be worried but right now let’s give Rafael some time to adjust to the grass," one user wrote.

"Rafael Nadal screaming after winning the match has a separate fanbase," another fan tweeted.

Rafael Nadal takes on Ricardas Berankis in the second round at Wimbledon

Following his victory over Francisco Cerundolo, Rafael Nadal will cross swords with Ricardas Berankis in the second round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The Lithuanian scored a straight-sets victory over Sam Querrey in his opener to set up a meeting with the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

The Mallorcan won their only previous encounter in straight sets at the Melbourne Summer Set earlier this year and is the favorite to do so once again. A victory on Thursday would pit him against either Lorenzo Sonego or Hugo Gaston up next.