Rafael Nadal's masterclass on grass sends ominous warning to rivals

"Yesterday," he said, "after the final, doing press, doing a little bit of celebration, next day photo in the morning, coming back to London, I was really tired. I practiced very bad."

"I felt I was returning well," Nadal understated. "That's the most difficult thing for me [on grass]. I was serving well in Roland Garros and I did the same here. I had good movement." If he had cracked Fermat's last theorem during the changeovers it would not have come as a surprise.

Missing the tournament last year hurt him more than many people realise. He watched it, he said, but not with any enthusiasm. "It was really emotional."
 

"I think I am a better player because I am a more complete player. I don't have pain now. I worked a lot and, for the moment, I am well. But I never know if that's forever. For the moment, we have found a solution.
"After the good results on grass, having won the final and reaching two finals, sure, I start to believe I can play well on this surface, no?

"That makes me feel a little bit better mentally when I come back here. But, at the same time, I need the time because I have to adapt."  

AT HIS HEIGHT, NADALS RETURNS TO THE GRASS 

It was Rafa’s first match, also, since regaining the No. 1 ranking. He and Federer have no prospect of facing each other again until the Wimbledon final — if Federer gets there, and I think, at this point, there’se a greater chance that Federer, not Nadal, will fail before Wimbledon’s final Sunday. One player has reached the pinnacle, the other is in a very slow decline.

It’s not just that Nadal has returned to No. 1. It’s that he’s going to be entrenched there for some time. The knees are fine. The emotions are under control. He is, certainly, the best player in tennis right now and for the foreseeable future.