• Thrilled by ‘impossible’ win

FRENCH Open champion, Rafael Nadal, admits his preparations for Wimbledon will be less than ideal.

The 27-year-old became the first man ever to win eight singles titles at one grand slam when he defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3 6-2 6-3 at Roland Garros on Sunday.

In 2008 and 2010 Nadal won both the French and Wimbledon but he played down his hopes of a repeat before he had even left Paris.

The Spaniard has pulled out of this week’s grass-court event in Halle because he needs more time to recover from his physical exertions of the past few weeks.

The French Open was Nadal’s seventh title from the nine events he has played since returning from knee problems in February, and he lost in the final of the other two.

Last year the Spaniard suffered his earliest grand slam exit in seven years when he lost to Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon, and he will arrive at the All England Club having not played on grass since.

“I will check everything after here,” he said. “I will check all my body, and I really hope to be ready for Wimbledon.

“I won’t play a tournament before Wimbledon, so that’s not the ideal situation before a grand slam like Wimbledon that is on grass and the conditions are very different.

“It’s the tournament that is more unpredictable for that reason. But I am going to try to arrive in good shape to Wimbledon. And if not, I am going to look about the rest of the season.

“Because I’m in a good position, even if I don’t play a good Wimbledon. That doesn’t mean I am not going to try, because I am going to try 100 per cent to be ready for there and to play good tennis there.”

Nadal demonstrated once again that no one is more at home at Roland Garros than he as he won his 59th match out of 60, more than any other male player.

The third seed (he will drop to number five in the rankings despite the victory) also had to overcome the shock of a gay marriage protester leaping out of the crowd onto court holding a flare in the second set.

For Nadal, the victory was an extra special moment after all his injury concerns, and he said, “I’m very happy, very emotional, it’s a very important victory for me. Five months ago, nobody in my team dreamed about a comeback like this because we thought that it was going to be impossible. But here we are today, and that’s really fantastic and incredible. So I’m very, very happy, just enjoying a lot all these emotions since I came back.

“I am a positive guy. I think always in a positive way. But doubts are part of this life. People who don’t have doubts do so because they are so arrogant. Doubts are in everything. Nothing is clear in this world.”

Nadal’s previous Grand Slam event was last year’s Wimbledon, after which, a partially torn patella tendon in his left knee forced the Spaniard out until February.

“I never like to compare years, but it’s true that this year means something very special for me,” said the Majorcan.

He admitted to still taking things “day by day” with the injury, but added, “the knee resisted a very tough battle against Djokovic the other day.

“Yesterday (Sunday), I didn’t have a terrible feeling, so that’s very positive news. Today I was able to compete with 100 per cent another time, so that’s fantastic.”

Nadal’s 12th Grand Slam title takes him past Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver to joint third on the all-time list.

“(Winning) eight times here is a lot,” he said. “I never thought about that. But, sure, I will keep practising with the same passion and intensity to bring my tennis to the highest level possible.”