Rafael Nadal on Thursday pulled out of Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics, saying he took the decision after consultations with his team in a bid to prolong his career.
In a series of tweets, the 35-year-old Spaniard said the two-week gap between the French Open and Wimbledon — which starts on June 28 — was not enough time for him to recuperate.
“I have decided not to participate at this year’s Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo,” Nadal, two-time Wimbledon champion, 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.”
Nadal, a record 13-time champion at Roland Garros, made a run to this year’s semi-finals and was knocked out by eventual champion Novak Djokovic in a four-set thriller.
“The fact that there has only been two weeks between RG (Roland Garros) and Wimbledon, didn’t make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding clay court season,” he added.
Nadal has two Olympic gold medals — a singles title in 2008 in Beijing and a doubles one at Rio 2016, where he was the flag-bearer for Spain.
“The Olympic Games always meant a lot... I found the spirit that every sports person in the world wants to live,” Nadal tweeted.
Osaka out of Big W
Women’s world No. 2 Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Wimbledon championship for personal reasons but will be ready for the Tokyo Olympics, British media reported on Thursday.
