COVID-cautious Nadal sticking close to home

Rafael Nadal has admitted he barely leaves his rented Wimbledon home – save for training or matches – as COVID flares at the grass-court Grand Slam.

The second seed and his team are comfortably ensconced in one or more luxury rentals just steps from the All England Club, with Nadal working actively to make sure he does not accidently fall victim to a positive virus test.

Already, the event has lost 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini, 2017 finalist Marin Cilic and Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut to the virus.

Nadal is keeping his head down as he advances through the draw.

“I am not doing many things. Just staying here and staying in the house, not going out at all anymore,” he said after booking into the third round with a defeat of Ricardas Berankia.

“That’s part of this challenging world that we are facing.”

The 36-year-old added: “I don’t have paranoia at all. When this kind of stuff (player pullouts) happen it’s because (we are) probably around a lot of cases.”

The Spaniard said that the situation cannot go on indefinitely.

“”At some point we need to open everything again, we need to be free, have a normal life.

“It looks like now the COVID is less dangerous in terms of creating very dangerous health problems. At the same time when you open, these kind of things can happen.

“Nothing to add. That’s it.”