"Everything feels special this year, tennis gods give us your blessings and luck" - Tennis fans react to Rafael Nadal stepping up preparations for Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal has finally arrived in London with a clear intention to participate in Wimbledon, made even more significant by the fact that it is the first time since 2019 that the 22-time Grand Slam champion will be playing at SW19.

Following the Mallorcan's triumph at the French Open, where he defeated Casper Ruud in the final to notch up his 14th Roland Garros title, he announced that he would be taking a short break to undergo treatment on his foot.

Now that the procedure has proved successful, rendering the Spaniard fit enough to practice on grass, the World No. 4 was recently spotted training alongside Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon.

Tennis fans could not contain their excitement after seeing the former World No. 1 on the cusp of being back at the tournament after a long time. Although the 36-year-old still has to confirm that he is indeed competing at the Grass Major, it is now almost guaranteed that he will.

Several users on Twitter hoped that this could finally be the year the Mallorcan triumphs at SW19, 12 years after his last triumph in 2010. Others were cautiously optimistic, stating that top seed Novak Djokovic is still the favorite but that the 22-time Major winner is still capable of giving him a good run for his money.

"Everything feels special this year, even Wimbledon just putting out "Rafa." Tennis gods give us your blessings and luck," one fan tweeted.

"What a beautiful sight. Rafa on grass," another fan tweeted.

"As everyone knows. I am a diehard Rafa fan who always makes incorrect predictions about his results. I predicted losses in this year's Australian Open and French Open. Same for Wimbledon. Do you hear me, TENNIS GODS? Nadal will definitely not win Wimbledon," one user sarcastically wrote.

"The only way to get me to acknowledge grass as a surface is by putting Rafa on it," another account posted.

Rafael Nadal third favorite to win Wimbledon according to bookmakers

Rafael Nadal is the third favourite to win Wimbledon according to betting websites

As things stand, Rafael Nadal is the third favourite to win Wimbledon, according to the bookmakers. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has odds of 15/2 to win the tournament, meaning that a $2 wager on the Mallorcan to win the trophy at the tournament will fetch a profit of $15 if it comes to fruition.

Novak Djokovic leads the pack with odds of -115, meaning that he is seen as the overwhelming favourite. Bettors therefore will have to spend $115 to earn $100 if the Serb takes the title at SW19 this year.

Carlos Alcaraz is seen as the second favourite, with odds of 7/1. Matteo Berrettini and Felix Auger-Aliassime both trail behind Nadal with odds of 13/1, while Stefanos Tsitsipas is given odds of 21/1 to win the Grass Major.