Paris 2024: Rafael Nadal To Skip Wimbledon To Prepare For His "Last Olympics"

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Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he will skip Wimbledon in order to prepare for his "last Olympics" in Paris after the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation had announced the veteran will represent the nation at the Summer Games.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who turned 38 on June 3, said he wants to just remain on clay, rather than switching over to grass for the All England Club, then needing to go back to clay for the Summer Games.

Nadal played what was expected to be his final French Open campaign last month, when he said he was unlikely to play at Wimbledon following his first-round exit to Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros.

And the 38-year-old confirmed his decision on his social media channels after the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation announced that the veteran will represent Spain alongside Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics.

"It was announced yesterday that I will play at the Summer Olympics in Paris, my last Olympics," said Nadal, who will prepare for the Olympics by entering a clay-court tournament in Bastad, Sweden in July, a few weeks before Paris Olympics.

"With this goal, we believe that the best thing for my body is not to change surfaces, and to 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 Royal Spanish Tennis Federation confirmed earlier in the week that the 22-time major winner will feature in the men's singles and men's doubles events, which will be played on the clay courts of Roland-Garros. Nadal will partner Alcaraz in men's doubles in Paris 2024.