Rafael Nadal announced on social media Thursday that he will not participate in Wimbledon this July in order to focus on preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris. The Olympics will feature matches played on clay courts at Roland Garros, a surface where Nadal has historically excelled.
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The 38-year-old Spaniard, a record 14-time winner of the French Open, has been struggling with injuries since his return to the court.
His performance at this year’s Roland Garros ended in disappointment as he exited in the first round, losing to Alexander Zverev in straight sets.
Nadal had previously missed most of 2023 due to a hip problem and faced setbacks earlier this year with a muscle tear and minor injuries that affected his preparation for the clay-court season.
In a social media post, Nadal explained his decision:
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“After my press conference at Roland Garros, I’ve been practicing on clay. It was announced that I will participate in the summer Olympics in Paris, my final Olympics. To best prepare for this goal, I’ve decided not to switch surfaces and to continue playing on clay until then. This means I will unfortunately miss Wimbledon this year.”
Expressing regret at missing out on Wimbledon, where he has been a two-time champion, Nadal also confirmed his participation in the Olympic doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz, the recent French Open singles champion.
Nadal will further hone his form for the Olympics by competing in the ATP 250 clay-court event in Bastad, Sweden, starting July 15. This return to Bastad marks his first appearance in 19 years, having previously won the tournament in 2005.
The Paris Olympics are scheduled from July 26 to August 11, with tennis competitions starting on July 27.
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