Rafael Nadal has revealed his stance on whether or not he will play at Wimbledon.
On Monday the Spaniard returned to Grand Slam action for the first time since January 2023 at Roland Garros.
He was handed a nightmare first round draw against World Number Four Alexander Zverev, who is fresh off winning the Italian Open.
The 37-year-old received a standing ovation when he walked on to the court and received plenty of support throughout the match from the thousands of fans eager to glimpse the King of Clay in Paris for possibly the final time.
But following his defeat to the German, many wonder what is next for Nadal , especially with another major just around the corner.
Will Rafael Nadal play at Wimbledon?
Nadal exceeded expectations with the level he showed in a gripping contest against Zverev. After a sluggish start, the former World Number One lost the opening set but raised his game in the second to break Zverev and go on to serve for the second set.
But the German battled back and claimed the second set on a tiebreak, before coming back from 0-2 down in the third to claim a 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 win.
After an encouraging performance, Nadal was asked by reporters if he will build on this form by competing at Wimbledon, where he is a two-time champion. But as enticing as that sounds, he is unsure if that will come to fruition.
“For me now [it] looks difficult to make a transition to grass, then having the Olympics again on clay. I cannot confirm anything. I need to talk with the team and analyse facts,” Nadal said.
“But I don’t think it’s going to be smart after all the things that have happened to my body to make a big transition to a completely different surface and then come back immediately to clay.”
Rafael Nadal targets the 2024 Olympics at Roland Garros
While there is a possibility that Nadal has played at the French Open Grand Slam for the final time, he will have another chance to step on the Parisian clay this year. The Paris Olympics begin on July 26, just 12 days after the Wimbledon final.
The tennis event will be played at Roland Garros and Nadal has expressed his desire to compete for another gold medal.
As he targets a second singles gold medal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion mentioned his future beyond the prestigious global sports event.
“I need to give myself a little bit longer to see if my level is growing and my body is holding, and then let’s make a decision,” he added.
“Give me two months until the Olympics, and then let’s see if I am able to keep going or I say, ‘OK guys, it’s more than enough’. Let’s see.”
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