Rafael Nadal, who has won seven of nine tournaments he’s entered this year, including the French Open, says he’s OK with being seeded No. 5 at Wimbledon. Nadal’s grass-court results over the past two years were not enough to allow him to pass fourth-ranked David Ferrer under the Wimbledon seeding formula. Nadal, who lost in the second round of Wimbledon last year, is in the same quarter with defending champion Roger Federer and the same half as Andy Murray.
“Is completely fair that I am No. 5,” Nadal said. “I am No. 5 and David is No. 4. He win his privilege to be No. 4 before me, and that's it.”
Andy Murray also agreed with Ferrer’s seeding.
“Last year, Rafa, he lost in the second round of Wimbledon. Yes, it was a shock and it was a big surprise,” Murray said. “But with the way our ranking system works, having a one-year ranking, it's very, very difficult to maintain your ranking if you get an injury. Ferrer made the quarters of Wimbledon last year, made the semis of the U.S. Open, he made semis at the Australian Open, made the final here. The guy deserves to be seeded where he is. It's not like he's got there by fluke. I mean, he's winning matches and improving every single year. His results in the Slams are phenomenal. I have no issue with the seeding. I'd rather Rafa and Roger were on the other side of the draw, but they're not. And you just deal with that.”
Federer said that it’s not even worth having the discussion. “It's not like he's unseeded. He is seeded within the top eight,” the Swiss said. “He is seeded, so you don't face him in the first round. Quarterfinals are still a long way away. It was never supposed to be easy winning Grand Slams. I'm ready for the challenge. I like tough draws. I don't shy away from them. All you can control as a tennis player is who you play and who you face. That's up to the draw to decide. I have a very difficult draw with Rafa being in my quarter. My focus is on the first round. If you want to win the tournament here, you anyway have to beat the best. That's what I'm here for.”