Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis legend, has an impressive history at Wimbledon, having won two titles and reached the final three more times. However, the 38-year-old has struggled with injuries in recent years, limiting his time on the court.
Will the 22-time Grand Slam champion compete on the grass courts in 2024? According to The Sporting News, Nadal has withdrawn from the Wimbledon 2024 singles main draw. His absence is not due to injury but rather a strategic decision to focus on preparing for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
After a first-round loss to Alexander Zverev at the French Open, Nadal aims to stay on clay courts to prepare for the Olympic tournament, which will also be played on clay. Transitioning to grass at Wimbledon would disrupt his preparation.
In a statement on June 13, Nadal explained, “During my post-match press conference at Roland Garros I was asked about my summer calendar and since then I have been practising on clay. It was announced yesterday that I will play at the summer Olympics in Paris, my last Olympics. With this goal, we believe that the best for my body is not to change surface and keep playing on clay until then. It’s for this reason that I will miss playing at The Championships this year at Wimbledon. I am saddened not to be able to live this year the great atmosphere of that amazing event that will always be in my heart, and be with all the British fans that always gave me great support. I will miss you all.”
Nadal’s next appearance will be at the Swedish Open in Bastad, a clay tournament starting on July 8. Nadal has previously competed in Bastad three times, winning the event in 2005 against Tomas Berdych.
