Rafa Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday, saying he made the choice after discussions with his group in a bid to delay his vocation.
The 35-year-old Spaniard said the fourteen days between the French Open and Wimbledon – which begins on June 28 – was insufficient time for him to recover after a demanding claycourt season where he played in five competitions.
“I have chosen not to partake in the current year’s Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo,” Nadal, a double Wimbledon champion, said on Twitter.
“It’s not an easy decision to make, but after paying attention to my body and discussing it with my group, I realize it’s the right one.”
Nadal, a 20-times Grand Slam champ, played at the Monte Carlo Masters, Barcelona, Madrid Masters, and Rome Masters before the French Open.
Nadal, a record 13-time Roland Garros champion, advanced to this year’s semi-finals before being defeated by potential hero Novak Djokovic in a four-set spine-chiller – only his third defeat on the Parisian soil, where he has won 105 matches.
“The fact that there were only fourteen days between RG (Roland Garros) and Wimbledon didn’t make it any easier for my body to recover after the frequently requested mud court season,” he added.
“It has been two months of incredible exertion and the choice I made is to be engaged in taking a gander at the mid and long haul.”
Nadal has two gold medals from the Olympics: a singles title in Beijing in 2008 and a pair of gold medals in Rio in 2016, where he was the flag bearer for Spain.
“The Olympic Games always implied a lot, and there was always a need for a good person, and I discovered the soul that every individual on the planet needs to live,” Nadal said.
“I, for one, had the opportunity to live in three of them and had the honor of carrying the flag for my country.”
Nadal | Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @njtimesofficial. To get latest updates
