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Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal made it safely out of his opening match against Francisco Cerundolo at Wimbledon on Tuesday. The Spaniard will be hoping to replicate his form at Roland Garros and stay on track for a Calendar Grand Slam this year.
After the win, Nadal took the time to praise Serena Williams on her return to the tour. He spoke about how great it was to see her back in competitive action after being sidelined with injury for almost a year.
"First of all, thanks for the words from Serena [Williams]. I read [them]. It's great to hear these beautiful things from probably one of the biggest female athletes in the history of the sport in general. And it’s great that she's trying to come back. The only thing that shows is passion and love for the game. After all the things that she achieved, and long period of time being injured, it’s so difficult to try to come back," Nadal said.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion also spoke about her dedication and love for the game, adding that she is setting a great example for others to follow with her professionalism.
"Just [to] be here shows that she has a lot of love for her work and for this game. I think that's a great example," Nadal concluded.
Serena Williams, unfortunately, crashed out of the tournament in her opening match against Harmony Tan. While this loss will generate more buzz about whether this was the 23-time Grand Slam champion's last match at SW19, she did hint at her participation at the US Open this year.
Rafael Nadal will face Ricardas Berankis in the second round
Rafael Nadal made it safely through to the second round of Wimbledon this year after beating Francisco Cerundolo in four sets on Tuesday. There was, however, a brief moment in the match where the Argentine looked to mount a comeback and cause a famous upset on Center Court.
In the second round, the two-time Wimbledon champion will play Ricardas Berankis from Lithuania. Berankis beat Sam Querrey in his opening match of the tournament and ranks 106 in the world at the moment.
Rafael Nadal's quest for a third Wimbledon title has been made slightly easier after two big players, Marin Cilic and Matteo Berrettini, on his side of the draw were forced to withdraw due to COVID-19.
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