LONDON — Former Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal could be heading for a clash with one of his Big Four rivals as early as the fourth round after the Spaniard was seeded 10th for the grasscourt championships on Wednesday.
Nadal's indifferent form this season means he has dropped to 10th in the world, his lowest ranking in over a decade, which means he could run into holder Novak Djokovic, second seed Roger Federer or number three Andy Murray in the last 16.
Grass court performances over the past two years carry extra weight in the men's Wimbledon seedings but Nadal, champion in 2008 and 2010, has failed to benefit as in 2013 he lost in the first round while last year he fell in the fourth.