No Wimbledon, Tokyo for Nadal
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Rafael Nadal, who lost in the French Open semi-finals last week, says that the shorter two-week interval between Roland Garros and Wimbledon is a key reason for his withdrawal from the grass-court Slam.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
PARIS • Rafael Nadal yesterday said he was pulling out from both Wimbledon and the Tokyo Games in a bid to "prolong my career".
The Spaniard, who won Olympic gold and Wimbledon in 2008 and triumphed again at the All England Club two years later, revealed his decision on Twitter.
"I have decided not to participate at this year's Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo," the 35-year-old tweeted. "It's never an easy decision to take but after listening to my body and discussing it with my team, I understand that it is the right decision."
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, 34, last week ended Nadal's four-year reign as French Open champion in the semi-finals before going on to seal his 19th Grand Slam.
"The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at the maximum level of competition," said 20-time Major champion Nadal.
The world No. 3 added that the shorter break between the French Open and Wimbledon this year - Roland Garros was pushed back by a week - had influenced his decision.
"The fact that there has only been two weeks between RG and Wimbledon didn't make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always-demanding clay-court season," he said. "They have been two months of great effort and the decision I take is focused looking at the mid and long term."
Nadal is a two-time Olympic champion, having won gold in singles in Beijing in 2008 and in doubles with Marc Lopez in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
"The Olympic Games always meant a lot and they were always a priority as a sports person," Spain's flag bearer at Rio added.
Nadal, who will be replaced as third seed at Wimbledon by defeated French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas, missed the championships in London in 2004, 2009 and 2016 because of injury.
His absence from the grass-court Slam means Djokovic will be a stronger favourite to win the third Slam of the year, which starts on June 28, for the sixth time.
Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, 39, is struggling to find his form and has barely played in the past 16 months after returning from knee surgery.
If Djokovic wins at the All England Club, he would join Nadal and Federer on 20 Major titles and would require just the US Open, which starts in late August, to complete the Grand Slam.
The Serb is also eyeing success in Tokyo to complete the "Golden Slam", which has never been done by a male player, while Steffi Graf did so in 1988.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
