Rafael Nadal says playing Wimbledon is “not a good idea” as he looks to prioritize the Paris Olympics

CNN
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Rafael Nadal He has raised further doubts about his participation at Wimbledon this year, saying it is “not a good idea” as he looks to prioritize the Summer Olympics over the clay courts of Roland Garros.

He was a 22-time Grand Slam champion He was eliminated in the first round of the French Open by Alexander Zverev On Monday he said Paris 2024 was now the “main target” for the summer.

The transition from clay to grass is the most difficult surface change in the tennis calendar. Wimbledon Tennis competitions will start on July 1, with the Olympic tennis tournament starting less than a month later on July 27.

“It seems difficult,” Nadal, who won singles gold in Beijing in 2008, said of his chances at Wimbledon. “Honestly, I can’t confirm what’s happening, but for me, it now seems difficult to move to grass, and hold the Olympics again on clay.

“So I can’t confirm anything, I need to talk to the team, I need to analyze a lot of facts, but I don’t think it would be smart after all the things that have happened to my body to now make a big transition to a completely different surface and then immediately go back to clay.

“Today, I feel like this is not a good idea. I can’t confirm, but my feeling is that even if I get booked at Wimbledon because I had to, I don’t think it’s a positive idea at the moment.

Nadal is also scheduled to play doubles in Paris 2024 with Carlos Alcaraz.

The 37-year-old has struggled with injury since the 2023 Australian Open and was forced to miss the vast majority of last season while trying to prepare his body for last year’s tour.

Having previously announced that 2024 would likely be his final year in professional tennis, Nadal opened the door to a potential return in 2025 following his defeat to Zverev, saying he was “not 100% sure” the loss was his final appearance at Roland Garros.

But given his injury struggles over the last 18 months, Nadal admitted that even if the priority was to be fit for the Olympics, there was no guarantee he would be.

“I can’t tell you whether I will be like that or not in a month and a half,” Nadal said. “My body has been a jungle for two years and you don’t know what to expect. One day I woke up and a snake was biting me; another day, a tiger.

“It’s been a big battle with all the things I’ve been through, but the dynamic has been positive the last few weeks. I felt ready. I think I’d be ready to play again tomorrow if I had to, but I won’t have to. “I need to get my thoughts straight now and figure out the calendar What’s new for me to be ready for the Olympics.

“I can’t say anything today, but my main goal now is to participate in the Olympic Games that will be held here, so I need to prepare myself in the right way: try to get here healthy and well prepared – and then let’s see.” “.