Rafael Nadal has hinted that he might skip Wimbledon this year to focus on preparing for the Paris Olympic Games. After his first-round loss to Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros, Nadal, the two-time Wimbledon champion, expressed doubt about his prospects of playing on the “sacred grass” in five weeks.
“It looks difficult, to be honest,” Nadal remarked when asked about his potential participation at Wimbledon. He emphasized the challenge of transitioning to grass, especially with the Olympic Games being played on clay. “For now, I cannot confirm what is happening. But for me, it looks difficult to make the transition to grass when the Olympic Games are on clay.”
Nadal also noted that he needs to discuss with his team and analyze several factors before making a final decision. “I cannot confirm anything. I need to talk to my team. I need to analyze so many factors,” he added.
Rafael Nadal says it would not be a “good idea” to play Wimbledon as he targets this year’s Olympics instead 🗣#BBCTennis pic.twitter.com/T0R0bNEfbn
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 27, 2024
Nadal played, what looks like, his last game at Roland Garros against Zverev as the Spaniard is set to announce his retirement later this year unless he feels his body comes back into good form.