Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini etch their names into the record books as the first players in Wimbledon history to practice on Centre Court

Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini have etched their names in Wimbledon history after becoming the first players to practice on the iconic Centre Court. The tournament broke a long-standing tradition this year, allowing players to practice on the Centre and No. 1 Courts before the competition kicks off.

The move was made to break in the grass sooner and prevent slips and injuries, a concern that was raised last year after high-profile players such as 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams suffered serious mishaps at the event.

Nadal and Berrettini played a practice set on Centre Court today, which reportedly went 6-4 in favor of the Italian. According to Manuel Sanchez Gomez of Spanish international news agency Agencia EFE, who was there in person to witness the session, the 22-time Grand Slam champion had his serve broken at 3-3 to hand the advantage to the World No. 10.

Although he had a 0-30 lead in the 36-year-old's final service game, he could not capitalize further, handing the victory to Berrettini. It should be noted that the practice session was not open to spectators, and only a few select journalists on site were privy to the details of the training spell.

The earliest Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini could meet at Wimbledon this year is in the quarterfinals

Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini could meet in the quarterfinals this year, if things go their way

Rafael Nadal will be seeded second at Wimbledon this year, while Matteo Berrettini will be the eighth seed. The earliest they can meet at SW19 therefore is in the quarterfinals, provided the draw, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow, keeps them in the same quarter and they both make it that far.

The World No. 4 is a two-time winner of the tournament, but is appearing for the first time at the event since 2019. Back then, he made the semifinals, losing to Roger Federer in an extraordinary four-setter.

Berrettini, meanwhile, made it all the way to the finals last year, falling to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Although the Italian took the first set, he could not sustain the momentum against the seasoned veteran and capitulated in the next three to hand the Serb his 20th Grand Slam.

Nadal and Berrettini are both considered among the top favorites for the title this year, just behind defending champion Djokovic. While the former World No. 1 hasn't played any competitive tennis on grass in the lead-up to Wimbledon, Berrettini will come in with the confidence of two grass titles under his belt — the Stuttgart Open and the Queen's Club Championships.