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Rafael Nadal speaks to the media before The Championships 

Q. How was your preparation in Mallorca? How do you feel about having grass courts now?
RAFAEL NADAL: It was great. I would love to be playing in Queen's, obviously. But after the last three months and after what happened in Roland Garros, we decided that for my body is better to have a slower change to the grass, no? We were practicing little bit more every day. I was lucky to have a tournament there in Mallorca. That was a big help.
I practiced since the tournament start, since Monday until Saturday. So was a good help.

Q. You like the courts?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, the courts was great. We are lucky to have a great event in Mallorca. I hope the event hold on. We hope to receive the support from the government and from the people. That's the only way to have success in an event like that.

Q. It's been 15 years since somebody other than you, Roger, Novak or Andy won the men's singles at Wimbledon. Why do you think, when the other majors have been won by other players, Wimbledon is still owned by the big four?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Maybe that change this year. You never know, no?
Is true that in the other events, didn't happen very often, too. We have been winning a lot for the last 10 years. But I don't see a particular reason for that.

After coming within one match of qualifying in 2011, Arina Rodionova will make her main draw debut at Wimbledon after a stellar week at Roehampton.

London, UK, 1 July 2017 | Matt Trollope

When Arina Rodionova clinched match point against Tamara Korpatsch on Friday at Roehampton, she turned to her team and said one word: “Wow.”

The Australian’s 6-3 6-3 win over the 11th seeded German send her through to her first ever Wimbledon main draw, after coming one win away from qualifying back in 2011.

Rodionova said she’d been so focused during the match that it was almost unreal when she served out victory for the loss of just one point in the final game.

Nick Kyrgios faces the prospect of another fourth-round meeting with top-ranked Andy Murray while Ash Barty has drawn No.4 seed Elina Svitolina in round one at Wimbledon.

London, UK, 30 June 2017 | AAP

Nick Kyrgios may need to pull off tennis’s version of Mission: Impossible to win Wimbledon after being presented with an extraordinary draw at the All England Club.

Kyrgios will open his campaign against Pierre-Hugues Herbert and could potentially face a trio of Frenchman in the first week of the tournament, which starts on Monday.

Then the real trouble awaits.

Australian talent is enjoying working with Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.

Paris, France, 31 May 2017 | Darren Walton, AAP

Conceding it is “time to knuckle down”, Nick Kyrgios has credited his new coach Sebastien Grosjean for bringing calm and positivity to the tennis court.

In his first Grand Slam outing with Grosjean in his box, Kyrgios cracked 20 aces and 40 winners to outclass Philipp Kohschreiber 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3 in an impressive start to his French Open campaign.

The youngest player since Roger Federer to progress to quarterfinals at two different Grand Slams, 22-year-old Kyrgios admits he needs a trusted mentor to help him take the next step.

Nick Kyrgios, Ashleigh Barty, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jordan Thompson begin their Roland Garros campaigns tonight.

Paris, France, 30 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Nick Kyrgios is one of four Australians who begin their 2017 French Open singles campaigns tonight.

Australia’s top-ranked player, and the tournament’s No.18 seed, faces German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber on Court 2.

It is Kyrgios’ first meeting against the No.43-ranked Kohlschreiber.

No.23 seed proves too strong for Slovakian Kristina Kucova to open her Roland Garros 2017 campaign in style.

Paris, France, 30 May 2017 | Darren Walton, AAP

Sam Stosur is the first Australian player into the French Open second round, scoring a gritty first-round win over Kristina Kucova.

Sluggish early after a gruelling five-match run to the title in Strasbourg on Saturday, Stosur recovered from a service break down in the opening set to see off the Slovak 7-5 6-1 in one hour and 19 minutes.

“It wasn’t, obviously, the easiest necessarily preparation going into a Grand Slam,” Stosur said of her swift turnaround and one-day Paris build-up.

Both happy to be competing at Grand Slam level again after injury lay-offs.

Paris, France, 30 May 2017 | Darren Walton, AAP

Luckless Australian tennis star John Millman has revealed how he hit rock bottom before making a surprise comeback at the French Open in Paris.

Millman was drawing only positives from his 6-2 6-2 0-6 6-1 first-round loss to Spanish 17th-seed Roberto Bautista-Agut on Monday.

The 27-year-old Millman said being back on the Grand Slam stage was a dream come true after wondering whether a serious groin tear might end his career.

World No.24 plans to take a break after demoralising three-set loss to Belgian Elise Mertens.

Paris, France, 30 May 2017 | Darren Walton, AAP

Daria Gavrilova was inconsolable after having her French Open dream shattered in a shock first-round defeat at Roland Garros.

Seeded for the first time in Paris after a blistering run on European clay, a gutted Gavrilova said she needed some time out from tennis after her demoralising 7-6(5) 1-6 6-4 loss to world No.60-ranked Belgian Elise Mertens.

“I ran out of gas. Literally,” Gavrilova said after blowing a big lead in the opening set and then fatiguing in the decider.

Sam Stosur, Daria Gavrilova, Jaimee Fourlis, Ajla Tomljanovic and John Millman scheduled to play first round matches.

Paris, France, 29 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Teen Jaimee Fourlis makes her French Open debut tonight, one of five Australians scheduled to play first round matches on day two.

The 17-year-old from Melbourne faces a daunting test against former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, scheduled first on Suzanne Lenglen Court (from 7pm AEST).

Fourlis, a No.337-ranked wildcard, earned her place in the draw in a wildcard play-off at Roland Garros last week.