Even though Rafael Nadal lost in the first round of Roland Garros, he has promised to keep playing as long as he is having fun. However, he has strongly hinted that he will not be competing at Wimbledon this year. Given his age and recent injury concerns, Nadal stated that the demands of switching to grass for the London showpiece and then returning to clay for the Olympics in Paris would likely be too much for him to handle.
No joy for Nadal in French Open
The 22-time grand slam winner fell to No.4 Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the opening round, but he displayed enough brilliant moments to indicate that he could have defeated most opponents. His recent return from a nearly 18-month hiatus has motivated him to press on and seek out more gold.
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Nadal-less Wimbledon on cards?
“Looks difficult for me now to make the transition to grass & having the Olympics to play on clay just after. I have to analyse but I don’t think it would be smart after all the things that happened to my body,” Nadal said after his French Open clash against Zverev.
At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Nadal took home the gold in singles. In Rio 2016, he won the doubles gold. He’s been even more tempted by the fact that the tennis tournament this year will take place on his favorite court—the one on which he won 14 French Open singles titles. However, that does mean Wimbledon, where he won in 2008 and 2010, is likely to be sacrificed.
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