Nadal Reportedly Set To Skip Wimbledon And Prioritize Olympic Games

It's probably the most expected news in the buildup to Wimbledon with the official confirmation that Rafael Nadal will not be playing at SW19 next month.

The third Grand Slam of the season is taking place in London at Wimbledon, the only one to be held on grass. Main draw action is scheduled to begin on July 1st. Nadal was slated to play and signed up for the tournament with a protected ranking.

He is a two-time former champion at the grass-court major, winning what is considered the greatest tennis match of all time in 2008 when he beat his arch-rival Roger Federer in the final, and then adding to his collection by lifting the 2010 edition.

Since then, his trips to London have been unsuccessful and marred by a spate of early exits. But he has maintained a great track record of exceeding expectations on his least favorite surface.

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His last three appearances at Wimbledon each yielded a semifinal finish. With 2024 looking very much like a farewell tour, tennis fans in the UK were bracing for Nadal to walk the pristine grass of Wimbledon one final time, having last played in 2022.

Spain's Olympic tennis team captain, David Ferrer, confirmed their worst fears in a press conference on Wednesday. Nadal won't have any part to play at Wimbledon this year in favor of the Olympic Games in Paris.

The 38-year-old Spaniard even hinted that grass was the least of his priorities because he had been practicing on clay even after his historic first-round defeat at Roland Garros last month.

And because this year's Games will be held in the same venue as Roland Garros, Nadal won't need to switch surfaces. Additionally, his record on the Parisian clay speaks for itself. He's won the French Open a mindboggling 14 times and owns a 112-4 record there.

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