Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal skips Wimbledon and will not participate in the Tokyo Olympics. The number 3 in the world announced this via Twitter.
“It’s never an easy decision, but after listening to my body and talking to my staff, I understand it’s the best decision,” Nadal said.
The 35-year-old Spaniard has won twenty Grand Slam titles in his career, as many as Roger Federer. They thus share the record. Novak Djokovic came to nineteen titles by winning Roland Garros last week. The Serbian number 1 in the world was too strong for Nadal in the semifinals, with thirteen titles the record champion in Paris. Wimbledon starts at the end of this month, on the ‘sacred’ grass in London.
Nadal won Wimbledon twice, in 2008 and 2010. In the last two editions, in 2018 and 2019, the Spaniard was eliminated in the semifinals. Wimbledon was cancelled last year due to the corona pandemic.
Majorca’s “gravel king” won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008. At the 2016 Games in Rio, Nadal and fellow countryman Marc López became Olympic champions in doubles.
In the singles, he grabbed next to the medals. After his defeat in the semifinals against the Argentinian Juan Martín Del Potro, Nadal lost to Kei Nishikori from Japan in the battle for bronze. Britain’s Andy Murray took gold, just like at the London 2012 Games.
Nadal won the clay tournaments of Barcelona and Rome in the run-up to Roland Garros.