Rafael Nadal pictured at a French Open press conference after losing to Alexander Zverev
Rafael Nadal is prioritising the Olympic Games over Wimbledon (Picture: Getty)

Rafael Nadal has strongly hinted he won’t play Wimbledon in 2024 due to the ‘difficult’ transition to grass from clay, with one eye on the Olympics.

Nadal has spoken openly about his upcoming retirement from tennis and it is widely expected that the 37-year-old will hang up his racket in the near future, possibly after the Games in Paris this summer.

The Spaniard crashed out of the French Open in the first round on Monday, the Grand Slam tournament he has famously dominated for two decades.

Many believed that 22-time major champion Nadal would play Wimbledon for the last time this year but he’s now suggested he will prioritise the Olympics instead.

The Games get started in late July – and with Paris hosting – the Olympic tennis tournament will be played on the famous French Open clay courts.

‘Looks difficult for me now to make transition to grass and having the Olympics to play on clay just after,’ Nadal told a French Open press conference on Monday.

‘I have to analyse but I don’t think it would be smart after all the things that happened to my body.’

Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd after his first-round defeat at the 2024 French Open
Rafael Nadal admits it wouldn’t be ‘smart’ to play Wimbledon 2024 (Picture: Getty)

It is thought that Nadal will play in doubles with fellow tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz and he doesn’t want to swap to grass just to go back to clay straight after.

Nadal’s game is not best suited to the surface and he has only won two of his 22 Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon.

The veteran has also massively struggled with injury across the last 18 months and will carefully select which tournaments he plays going forward.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray’s mum has sent an emotional message to Nadal after his Roland-Garros defeat to Alexander Zverev.

Sharing a photo of Nadal as a boy alongside her other son Jamie Murray, she posted on X: ‘When I first met Rafa he was 11-years-old, playing in the Open Super 12 in Auray.

‘It was his first tournament outside of Spain and he beat Jamie in the final. And yes he picked at his shorts back then too.’

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