"Having the energy to do what he has done is very difficult; but he is who he is and he always tries to win" - Francisco Roig on Rafael Nadal coming into Wimbledon after an exhausting French Open

Francisco Roig is confident that Rafael Nadal will do everything in his power to find the energy needed to give himself the best shot to win the Wimbledon title. Despite coming to Wimbledon just three weeks after a grueling French Open campaign and a constant battle with a chronic foot injury, Nadal will aim for nothing less than winning the title at SW19.

Roig is a key member of the 22-time Grand Slam champion's coaching team and has accompanied him during training sessions in London so far, in the absence of head coach Carlos Moya.

Speaking during an interview ahead of the start of Nadal's campaign at SW19, the coach gave an insight into the Spaniard's recovery period after the French Open, before declaring that he aims to win Wimbledon.

"Having the energy to do what he has done is very difficult. He needs that energy. After Roland Garros, which was a tough, tough, tough tournament, he had a few days off to reconnect mentally with another Grand Slam he, we can't fool ourselves, he's coming to win," Roig said.

"Then maybe he does a few semis and has played well, and he's happy with himself, but he is who he is and he always tries to win," he added.

The Spaniard will play his first match at the grasscourt Major in three years when he takes on Francisco Cerondulo on Centre Court on Tuesday. Roig said he was grateful that his pupil's left foot held up better than expected after he underwent treatment for his foot injury in Barcelona. At the same time, he admitted that it has been difficult for Nadal to adapt to the grass courts after a three-year gap.

"He hasn't played here for three years and the memory and the feeling that you have from one year to the next is fundamental, because you retain something. It always costs you a bit, but if you've played the previous year and the others, that helps in adaptation," Roig explained.

The World No. 4 made consecutive semifinals at Wimbledon in 2018 and 2019, his last two appearances at the event. In the 2018 semifinal against Novak Djokovic, he fell short in an epic five-setter and then lost to eight-time champion Roger Federer the following year. Roig believes that Nadal also played very well in 2017, when he lost in another five-set epic (15-13 in the 5th set) to Gilles Muller in the fourth round.

After the disappointment of losing three close matches, the two-time champion is highly motivated to win a third Wimbledon title, according to Roig.

"The last three years that he came here he played very well, because losing here with [Gilles] Müller (2017) can happen to you, but the three previous games he played very well and did not lose a set."

"In 2018 he was screwed by the match against Djokovic and the following year he lacked a little courage and decision. He had that thorn of trying to win it one more time," continued Roig.

The talk of a Calendar Grand Slam is 'forbidden' in Rafael Nadal's camp: Francisco Roig

Previews: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022

There has been a lot of talk recently about Rafael Nadal's bid for a potential Calendar Grand Slam in 2022, after his title triumphs at the Australian Open and the French Open. However, the Spaniard and his camp have not even mentioned the prospect of the feat and are only focused on Wimbledon as of now, Roig revealed.

"No, it's forbidden. No, because we know each other. Apart from how difficult it is, so many things still have to happen... What worries us is doing well in this tournament, nothing else," the former player said on the same.

The 54-year-old further expressed that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is certainly one of the favorites at Wimbledon. However, he admitted that the likes of Djokovic and Matteo Berrettini are ahead of the Spaniard at the moment.

"Obviously he's one of the favourites, because he's always among the favourites; now the top candidate for me is Djokovic and then there's Berrettini and Hurkacz, maybe. Today, they're a little bit ahead of us. , although maybe in a week, if we continue in the tournament, maybe Rafa can get ahead of them," Roig said.

One of those contenders, Hubert Hurkacz, was knocked out on Day 1 with a loss to Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.