Two-time champion Rafael Nadal is not going to play at Wimbledon this 12 months as a way to concentrate on the Olympics in Paris.
The 38-year-old Spaniard stated he’ll compete in a clay-court occasion in Bastad, Sweden, as preparation for the Olympic tennis match which begins on 27 July.
Wimbledon, the place Nadal received in 2008 and 2010, begins on 1 July.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, stated he was “saddened” to be lacking the “nice ambiance” of Wimbledon, which “will all the time be in my coronary heart”.
Following his first-round exit on the French Open final month, Nadal stated returning to the clay at Roland Garros on the Olympics was now his important goal.
“With this aim, we imagine that the most effective for my physique is to not change floor and maintain enjoying on clay till then,” he stated.
Nadal, who’s ranked 264th on the planet, will play doubles with Carlos Alcaraz on the Olympics.
Nadal has beforehand stated that he anticipated to retire later this 12 months, however stated earlier than the French Open that he couldn’t say “100%” if that may be the final time he performed within the match.