As he had already anticipated David Ferrer yesterday in the presentation conference of the Spanish Olympic teams, Rafael Nadal will not be on the court at Wimbledon. The left-handed player from Manacor, in fact, has chosen a different program for his latest Olympics. He will be on the court in Båstad, Sweden, where one of the most popular ATP 250s on the circuit is held immediately after the Championships.
These are the words of the two-time winner of the Slam on grass (2008 and 2010) entrusted to Twitter/X: “During my post-match press conference at Roland Garros I was asked about my summer calendar, and I have been training on clay ever since. Yesterday it was announced that I will play in the Paris Olympics, my last.
With this goal, we felt it was best for my body not to change surfaces and to continue playing on clay until then. For this reason I will miss the Wimbledon Championships this year. I’m sad that this year I won’t be able to experience the great atmosphere of an event that will always be close to my heart, as well as being with the British fans who have always given me great support. I will miss you all.
To prepare for the Olympics, I will play the tournament in Båstad, Sweden. A tournament that I played in the early stages of my career, and where I enjoyed myself both on and off the court. I can not wait to see you. Thank you“.
Tennis, the Spanish team for Paris 2024 defined: Alcaraz and Nadal in the front row (also in doubles)
Nadal’s reference is to a very distant era in tennis terms. He won the tournament, in fact, in 2005 in the final on Thomas Berdych, beating the Czech 2-6 6-2 6-4. He had previously participated in 2003 and 2004, reaching the quarter-finals in both cases (but his progress in 2003 was more impressive, in which he started by eliminating the greatest Moroccan player in history, Younes El Aynaoui. The rumors that the Majorcan would start in Hamburg (another tournament with which he has an excellent relationship with) have currently been denied.
For Nadal, however, there will be no particular ease in this event. What is already known about the participant camp, in fact, is not of little importance. The presence of the world number 1 is already expected, Jannik Sinner, who is expected to use the tournament in preparation for the Olympics (but we will certainly have to see what his path will be at Wimbledon). The Russian is also on stage with the South Tyrolean Andrey Rublev and Norwegian Casper Ruud (which, given its complex relationship, to put it mildly, with the meadows, is almost certain to be there).
It should be remembered that since he will be unseeded, Nadal could face anyone in Båstad, from lower-ranked players to top seeds. This essentially leaves every possible kind of scenario open (including, to date, a possible second round Sinner-Nadal. Second, and not first, because Båstad is a tournament with a 28-player draw, of which the top 4 in the seeding do not play the first round). In any case, the five-circle perspective is clear for him: in that context it is expected that he will also play doubles together with Carlos Alcaraz.
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