ISTANBUL
Rafael Nadal announced Thursday that he would not be participating in the Wimbledon tennis championships this year.
“In order to prepare for the Olympic Games, I will play the tournament in Bastad, Sweden. A tournament that I played earlier in my career and where I had a great time both on and off the court. Looking forward to seeing you all there. Thank you,” Nadal said in a statement.
The Spanish tennis star said he was “saddened” that he would not be taking part in the event and “be with all the British fans that always gave me great support.”
“I will miss you all,” he said.
Nadal, together with Marc Lopez, won the doubles gold for Spain in the men’s doubles at Rio 2016, along with the singles gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
The 38-year-old has so far secured 22 Grand Slam titles in men’s singles.
He will team up with Carlos Alcaraz in doubles for Spain at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
