Rafael Nadal insists that he will be fit and ready to defend his Wimbledon crown once the tournament starts at the end of this month. Nadal has been in Barcelona receiving treatment for tendinitus in his knee caps that has created doubt over whether or not he would be able to play in Wimbledon and defend his major honour.

Nadal has not been able to play any part in the warm up tournaments that are traditionally held in the lead up to the biggest tournament in tennis but it is likely that the battling pride of Nadal will eradicate any amount of pain that his body is likely to throw up. If he can find a way around the current injury then he will be walking out onto centre court for his first match.

Nadal said: “I have been playing with pain on my knees for some months and I simply can’t go on like this. The pain was limiting certain movements in my body, which affected me mentally as well. After the appropriate tests and treatment, we will travel to London next Tuesday.”

“I am going to give 200 per cent to be ready for the most important tournament in the world – the tournament that I always dream about. I will not go out and play, especially on the Centre Court, if I am not 100 per cent ready to play. I have two difficult weeks ahead of me, especially because I won’t be doing what I like doing most, to play tennis.”

Doubtless the news of Nadal’s injury problems will be met by his competitors with mass enthusiasm. For individuals such as Roger Federer, the absence of the world number 1 will make his conquest to become the most decorated player of all time a lot easier. Ask any other professional on the tennis circuit whether they would prefer it if Nadal is playing and it would be very difficult to find one who would say yes.

However, as we so often see whenever Nadal plays he does not really know when he is beaten or when he should take a back seat from an event. The occasion of the tournament being Wimbledon is likely to make him forget about any matches held there in the past or any amount of pain that his body is generating.

Unless Nadal is virtually crawling along the ground in pain by the time the tournament starts then he will be taking part. He is still relatively young but smart and shrewd enough to know the correct angle to take and the right decisions to make. It would be pointless for him to take part in the competition for the sake of just this. If he does not believe he is fit enough and able enough to win the tournament then he will not take part.

There is no point in risking a long term injury simply for the sake of taking part in a prestigious event. Not a single person would blame him if he put himself first.