“I always look forward to coming to England to play at The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon but this year there is even more motivation because I could not defend my titles last year,” said Nadal, who joins the US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro in making early commitments to the field at the AEGON Championships.

“No-one was more disappointed than me that I couldn’t play because I love those tournaments,” added Nadal. “Queen’s is a big, important tournament played at a very nice, traditional club and it was an amazing feeling to win it in 2008 and then to fulfill my dream by winning Wimbledon. To not defend my Wimbledon title last year was one of the toughest decisions in my career, but this is a new year and now I have the chance to go back to England and to compete on the grass again.”

This has made the tournament director most happy.

“Rafa is one of the best and most popular tennis players of all-time and so it is fantastic news for the tournament and British tennis fans that he has chosen to compete at the AEGON Championships again this year. For three years he played his heart out in London only a couple of days after winning the French Open, and he desperately wanted to play last year, too. We look forward to welcoming him back in June.”

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

The doubles draw is out and guess who’s on it? Yes! The cutest doubles team evah! Rafa and Marc! will team up to play the #3 seeds in the first round. It’ll be tough…can they do it? If they do and if Feli and Nando win their first round, they would play each other. The court might explode from the hotness.

Photo by Beth Wilson

If you aren’t following @JamesLaRosa on twitter you should. If for no other reason than kefuoe and I need more donations to the “JamesLaRosa streaks the Hit for Haiti” fund. Any way…he just tweeted a link to his “He’s Rafa, Dammit” article. Read it. Chill. Be happy – RafaTennis resumes soon.

Ya en Indian Wells desde ayer. El jet lag hace que me levante a las 6 de la mañana cada dia! Ahora me voy a entrenar, a las 8! Despues mandare un video de bienvenida | In Indian Wells since yesterday. Jet lag terrible, waking up at 6 am. I am going to practice now at 8 am and will send a video later

Isn’t it 7am there now?

Posted by concursoBanesto.

Photo by Miquel Borrás

Part two of the as.com interview is up. (Google translation)

When asked about is chances at Indian Wells and Miami:

Basically, the bottom line is that I feel good physically, strong … and knees no longer hurt. The pain is forgotten now. I have come to make tennis workouts up to three hours. Lack of competition … and take confidence. I’ll summarize by saying that trying out with options in every tournament. Options, at least to compete. Win and depends on many factors.

aka – One match at a time. (Although, no pain in training is different than no pain in match play…just saying.)

Go play well and recovering feelings and confidence. There and in Miami. These are tournaments that I have almost always good. I travel with all the hope.

We watch with all hope.

And mentally?

Of course there are questions … When you have injuries, there are always doubts. I do not know, there are always times when one does not know what to expect. It is seeing on the ground. In the longer term, we’ll see if I have to worry or not seriously.

Again, one step at a time – this time, perhaps literally.

They go on to say that, per usual, Uncle Toni will not be going to the US with Rafa. Instead Roig is along for the ride.

What’s been his most exciting tennis memories so far?

Always the first successes are achieved: the first Grand Slam, the first Davis Cup … and of course, the Wimbledon title in 2008, for what it meant and after losing two finals in succession, the previous two years.

Just thinking about that Wimbly makes me smile.

Would he do another video? You never know, you never know.

What’s left to accomplish?

I often ask that question. And, as I’m 23, only one answer: there is much to do.

I likes the sound of that.

Once again, the fabulous Inés is back with another translation for us.

“Of course that injuries create me doubts”

AS WITH NADAL CHAPTER 2 AND LAST. Rafael Nadal is already in the U.S., where he counts the hours to play his first tournament since his injury last January in Australia. In the Masters 1000 of Indian Wells, Nadal defends 1,000 points and the 2009 title . Before, Rafa received AS.

Alejandro Delmás | 10/03/2010

We were talking about the number one and their circumstances. You said, Rafa, that return to number one for you now is not a priority and this would depend on how things were going on. But, could you analyze the situation at the top of the ATP list?

The facts are there: Federer has won in Australia, the first Grand Slam, and this gives him a significant advantage with the new scoring formula. With that advantage, he can adjust his schedule. But this is very competitive, each time more and more …

What do you mean?

In general, that if you look at the list of entries, we are many young people who are in the top place: Djokovic, myself, Murray, Del Potro … and Federer is one of the veterans, along with Davydenko and Roddick. The time shall be going by, and I think, Roger’s going to adapt the calendar even more.

You go to Indian Wells and Miami supplied with what Forcades, and Maymó, your trainers, defined as ‘a pre-season’. Is there a clear aspiration in these tournaments?

Basically, the fundamental is that I feel good physically, strong … and the knees no longer hurt me. The pain is forgotten now. I was doing tennis practice up to three hours. Lack of competition … and take confidence. I summarize by saying that I try to go out with options in every tournament. Options, at least to can compete. To win depends on many factors.

So, what is the approach to Indian Wells?

To play well and to start regaining feelings and confidence. There and in Miami. They are tournaments that almost always are going on well to me. I travel with all the hope.

We agreed that the knees do not hurt you and that the overall condition is the best as possible, before these tournaments. But mentally and facing the future, Doubts strike you?

Of course there are doubts … when you have injuries, there are always doubts. I don’t know, there are always moments when one does not know what to expect. You are seeing as one goes along. In the longer term, we’ll see if I have to worry or not seriously.

To catch this idea, first we need to know what Rafa Nadal thinks it was his best season so far and secondly, if you think that you are still able to return to that level …

Hmmm … of course that the best season was in 2008: I won Roland Garros, Wimbledon and I was Olympic champion and also I was number one. But before to start this season, I didn’t see me qualified either to do so many things. And you see what happened next.

(In the two Masters1000 that now he plays in the U.S., Indian Wells and Miami, Rafael Nadal will not be joined by his uncle Toni, who will stay in Mallorca, between Porto Cristo and Manacor. In the U.S., Francis Roig will advise to Rafa technically. Toni Nadal returns with his nephew for the European clay court season, which starts on April 11 at the Monte Carlo Masters: Nadal defends title).

And the feelings that remained you after the start of the year, between Abu Dhabi, Doha and Australia …

I was happy because, at times, those feelings had been better than many I had throughout all 2009. When I arrived to Australia, I had been close to win the tournament in Doha and I had this continuity that you need and with which is easier to get the level. I hope to get back there.

The best season was 2008. And the win or the memory most exciting in the memory of Rafael Nadal?

Always are the first successes that were achieved: the first Grand Slam, the first Davis Cup … and of course, the Wimbledon title in 2008, because all what it meant and after losing two finals in a row, the previous two years.

After the fast court of the U.S. tournaments, it will come the European clay’s season. And there …

It’s one of the main objectives, as always and because of the points that I defend. Besides playing well in the U.S., the idea is to get confident for when the times comes to defend these points in Europe.

We talked yesterday a bit about your experience in the filming of the video-clip ‘Gypsy”, with Shakira. Will you repeat it?

I was delighted, it was a different experience and I had fun. Repeating it? You never know.

Six Grand Slam titles, including four at Roland Garros, 15 Masters Series and Masters 1000, the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, the world number one in 2008 … What remains to be done or achieved, Rafa?

Often It makes me that question. And, as I’m 23 years old, there is only just one answer: there is much to do ahead.

Trying out this wonky flash embed that fotoglif.com has – figure it’s more polite than, uh, borrowing the photos. (Thanks, DS) Visit their site to see the photos larger.

Photo by REUTERS/Michael Fiala

Ah…finally time for another RafaDraw before some RafaTennis. The draw for Indian Wells is out. Rafa’s in the bottom half of the draw. Rafa’s first match (in the second round) will be against a qualifier. The first seed he might come up against is Benneteau. Seeded players in his quarter is Davydenko, Troicki, Berdych, Verdasco, Isner, Querrey and Benneteau. Seeded players in the other quarter of Rafa’s half are: Cilic, Bellucci, Monaco, Ferrero, Simon, Ljubicic, Kohlschreiber and Djokovic. Seeded players in the top half are: Federer, Baghdatis, Robredo, Stepanek, Monfils, Melzer, Tipsarevic, Roddick, Murray, Andreev, Karlovic, Ferrer, Tsonga, Montanes and Soderling.

Rafa’s draw looks pretty good to the quarters (if you count possible Isner/Querrey match up in the round of 16 good – I do) . After that? Things could get very, very tricky. His most likely quarterfinal match ups would be Davydenko (if his wrist holds out) or Verdasco (if his sciatic nerve isn’t acting up). His most probable semifinal opponent would be Djokovic.

Photo by Miquel Borrás

mary sends in this interview with as.com (Google translation). When asked if the knees and torn tendon were 100%, he answered…kind of.

I’ve been training hard three weeks, from which I was medically discharged for doing so. We’ve done as a pre-season work with the idea of recovering the early-season form, which was to reach Australia. I feel strong and knees do not hurt. Now it is competing.

He goes on to say that during Doha and the AO this year, he felt he was playing better than all of last year. (Even last year’s AO, Rafa? Hmmm) And when asked about the long term:

What happens is that I still consider young. I have 23 years. And in 2010 I’ll still 23 or 24 years. So, I have much to do. In the longer term, I do not know if the knee problem is something that should worry or not. Later it will be watching. Do not know. Now I do not I put it.

Knee problems rarely just go away, so I do think it’s something to worry about and take extra good care of.

He goes on to say that his main objective in the US hard court season is to play well and regain confidence for the clay season.

(In the attic of his home in Rector Square Ruby, in the depths of his private apartments, Rafa Nadal keeps his collection of trophies, something messy: the plates of many Masters Series, replicas of the championship crown at Roland Garros , Wimbledon and Australia … and a striking number of strollers Seat Ibiza, as models: “They were those who gave when he won the Barcelona Open Seat, now, as is the Sabadell Atlantico, no more cars …”)

Strollers? Huh?

He seems to indicate he wants to play the next round of the Davis Cup:

Our next series, in France, will be very hard to pass, we need to be all 100%. And I want to be.

For the rest of the interview, he refuses to say he has a tactical problem against big servers/heavy hitters and just says he needs more confidence and continuity. I’m not sure I 100% agree, but I hope so, Rafa. I hope so. (Of course, he could be saying that his lack of confidence and continuity meant he couldn’t pull off the tactics he knew he needed to employ, in which case I’d be more inclined to agree.)

Thanks to NadalNews lurker Ines, we now have a proper translation:

“I need continuity to play well and win”

AS WITH NADAL CHAPTER 1. Rafael Nadal is already in Indian Wells, USA, where this week he begins to defend his world number three, along with the title he won in Indian Wells in 2009. Before traveling, Nadal, who has not played since January, received AS.

Alejandro Delmas| 09/03/2010

How has all this time been without competing, six full weeks since you suffered a ruptured tendon in Australia? Are you totally ready?

I’ve been three weeks training hard , since I had the medical release to do so. We’ve done pre-season work with the idea of recovering the early season form which I had when I reached Australia. I feel strong and the knees do not hurt me. Now it is time to compete. Fishing? I’ve only been a couple of days, nothing that had much merit. So ,well …

(Rafa Nadal has his headquarters in his private residence in Manacor on the Torre del Palau, at Ruby Rector Square, near the Church of Virgen de los Dolores. La Torre del Palau has existed since the fourteenth century, and belonged to the ancient kings of Mallorca. Nadal is trained at home, in an ultramodern gym, under the command of his trainer Joan Forcades and his physiotherapist Rafa Maymo).

Mentally, Rafa, have you clarified doubts about the injury that knocked you out of Australia, do you think that it was nothing more than an accident? Do you think that you are going the right way to return to the top?

I have no doubt that everything until Australia was working well. Yes I was on the right track. I was playing better than during all of last year. If the idea is to go to tournaments with serious options, it is clear that I did have options in every tournament I played up to Australia. In Doha, I was very close to winning the title, I had two match points against Davydenko. But above all, I was playing better and with sensations that I have not had in all the 2009. And I tell you one thing: it was not easy. From there, you can only ask for continuity.

At this point, it is clear that the situation in the knee, with such incidents, may create doubts or concerns. Later we will talk about how it can affect your game …

What happens is that I still consider myself young. I’m 23 years old. And in 2010 I’ll still be 23 or 24 years old. So, I have much to do. In the longer term, I do not know if the knee problem is something that should worry me or not. We will see as time goes on. I don’t know. Now I don’t think about it.

The logical approach,whatever else happens, will be to start off in the USA and concentrate on the clay court season in Europe, where you defend several thousand points. Besides the reconquest of Roland Garros ...

The first objective, the most immediate, is to play well in the American hardcourt season. Considering, also, the 1,000 points I defend as 2009 IW champion . But the main idea is to play well. To reach the clay season with enough confidence. Without that confidence and without continuity, to compete is always more difficult.

The clay of Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Paris … Rafa Nadal’s clay.

It can’t be denied that a good clay season in Europe is one of the major objectives; considering,also, the points that I defend . When I come back to play in Spain, the plan is to reappear in Barcelona, at the Barcelona Open. That tournament has always been one of my big goals.

(In the attic of his home on the Plaza Rector Rubi­, in the in the innermost of his private apartments, Rafa Nadal keeps his collection of trophies, somewhat disorganised: many Masters Series shields, replicas of the championship crown at Roland Garros , Wimbledon and Australia … and a striking number of scale-sized Seat Ibiza models: “Those were given to me when I won the Barcelona Open Seat, now, is the Sabadell Atlantico, no more cars …”)

The idea is to reappear in Spain at the Godo, but certainly, for schedule, you could have done it sooner, in the Davis Cup in the tie Spain-Switzerland. Are you still keeping the Davis (Cup) as one of the major objectives in your agenda? Or is that moving away?

The Davis Cup has always been a big goal for me and it cannot be forgotten that in the Davis, I have reached some of the most exciting wins of my career, like that tie in Brno with the Czech Republic and my first title in Seville. Also, for me it remains an honor and pride when you’re playing with your teammates defending your country. But I need to measure my efforts. And. ..

Go ahead …

In this situation, when we made plans for the season, with the schedule in hand, we saw the initial opponent was Switzerland. Normally, Roger Federer does not usually play that first round with Switzerland. It was clear that without Federer, Spain had good options and a good team to beat the Swiss: with or without me. I felt I had to measure efforts when it be needed. This time, I thought I needed to do it like this. Nothing more.

Which means …

…That our next tie, in France, will be very hard and to get through it, we all need to be 100%. And I would like to be there.

Before talking about the hardcourt and clay season, I tried to focus the question on another issue:your possible tactical change in the game caused by wear and tear and the injury problems. Do you feel that, in some way, now you have more problems beating the big guns of the two-handed backhand, Del Potro, Djokovic, Soderling, Cilic …? I’m not talking about Federer.

Hmmm, no: it is not like this. It is not even a tactical problem. I see it more of a continuity. You need continuity and confidence to play well and win.

But the bad results and problems in the second half of 2009 against that player’s list we’ve mentioned have been evident.

I know that, at my best and when I played well, I defeated Del Potro. Or Djokovic. With Cilic I lost, but we only played once. I can win … playing well, of course. As I said, it is not tactical. It is not a question of backhand or backhands. If you have confidence and have continuity, you have more options to play well and if you play well, you have more chances to win. The one who wins more matches is the one better prepared for it. And everything I say comes with preparation.

Anyway, I insist, Del Potro at the U.S. Open and Djokovic in various scenarios were rather superior to Nadal in the second part of the 2009 season.

Well … those victories, the Del Potro one at U.S, Open and Djokovic at the Cincinnati Masters do not count much for one simple reason: I had an abdominal rupture. Additionally, I have been facing them in recent times, on the most difficult courts for me. I can say it say again: Continuity is what I’ve been missing.

The fact is that in Indian Wells, Rafa Nadal begins what it may be called a new season. Can you think about a new assault on the world number one?

I work every day to be 100%. I work hard to go to every tournament knowing I can compete with guarantees. We’ll see what happens. The number one will have to be seen, it will depend on factors, I must be very well during a long time. It is not now a priority.

And then a boring sum-up of the event from tennischannel.com:

(Their stupid flash object is too wide for the content column and they have no sizing options. Hope this is still viewable.)