Rafael Nadal has decided the player he wants to play doubles with at the Olympics this year

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An update regarding the return of 22–time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has been revealed.

The 37-year-old last played at the French Open where he was beaten by Alexander Zverev in the first round.

The Spaniard has expressed his desire to return to Roland Garros to play at the Olympic Games towards the end of July.

Nadal last represented his country at the prestigious sports event in 2016, where he won a gold medal alongside Marc Lopez in the men’s doubles.

When is Rafael Nadal’s next tournament?

To boost his preparation for the Olympics, Nadal plans to compete at the Hamburg Open, according to Spanish news outlet Cope.

The clay court ATP 500 event is set to commence on July 15, two weeks before the Olympics is due to begin.

The former World number one last appeared at the tournament in 2015, and he went on to win it by defeating Fabio Fognini 7-5, 7-5 in the final.

Furthermore, Nadal is keen to play doubles as well as singles in Hamburg, alongside new French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz.

The pair plan to play doubles with one another at the Olympics and Cope reports that the veteran wants to get some practice in playing alongside the 21-year-old before competing at the Paris Games.

However, the publication states that this will depend on how Alcaraz feels after Wimbledon, where he will aim to successfully defend his title.

What is Rafael Nadal’s record at the Olympics?

Nadal has represented Spain at the Olympic Games on two previous occasions.

In the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, he went on to claim the gold medal, beating Novak Djokovic in the semi-final before dispatching Fernando Gonzalez in the final.

He missed the London 2012 Games due to injury and despite his wrist being at less than 100%, the tennis legend travelled to the Rio Olympics in 2016, where he carried the flag at the opening ceremony.

He narrowly missed out on obtaining more hardware in the singles after finishing fourth, but alongside Lopez Nadal defeated the Romanian duo of Florin Mergea and Horia Tecău to claim glory.