Rafael Nadal to skip Wimbledon to prepare for Olympics

Rafael Nadal will skip the upcoming Wimbledon to prepare for the Olympics. Nadal has been named in Spain’s single and doubles team for the Games and he doesn’t want to change surfaces and go from clay to grass and back and forth.

The Spaniard announced his decision on social media on Thursday. The veteran is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist (singles in 2008 and doubles in 2016) and will pair up with Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles event.

Nadal recently lost the opening round of the French Open against Alexander Zverev, who ended as the runners-up to Alcaraz.

Nadal has won the Championship on two occasions and he will prepare for the Olympics by taking part in ATP 250 clay-court event in Bastad, Sweden, that starts July 15. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had won in Bastad back in 2005.

“During my post match press conference at Roland Garros I was asked about my summer calendar and since then I have been practicing on clay. It was announced yesterday that I will play at the summer Olympics in Paris, my last Olympics,” Nadal wrote in his post.

“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.”

The Paris Olympics will run from July 26 through Aug. 11. The tennis competition begins July 27.