Rennae Stubbs ‘throws a spanner’ in the works as she predicts player to do ‘really well’ at the Olympics

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Rennae Stubbs thinks Rafael Nadal will cause some surprises at the Paris Olympic Games.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion looks to add to his glittering résumé in the French capital where he will play in what is likely to be his final Olympic Games.

Nadal will enter the tournament with some matches under his belt having played at the Nordea Open in Bastad.

The 37-year-old will be hoping a return to Roland Garros, where he won his 14 French Open titles, can inspire him to produce his best tennis to contend for more Olympic glory.

What does Rennae Stubbs think Rafael Nadal can do at the Olympics?

Nadal knows what it takes not only to not only succeed at Roland Garros but to win an Olympic gold medal.

The is no better venue for him to try and claim more Olympic success and banish the memories of his French Open first round defeat to Alexander Zverev in May.

Given his age and the fact he is still searching for his best form makes this a tough task for Nadal, but Stubbs thinks the Spaniard has what it takes to cause some shocks in Paris.

“I’m going to throw a spanner, I think he is going to do really well,” the American told the French Connection Podcast.

“It does depend on the draw but best of three really does help him a tremendous amount physically because we know he has had his trials and tribulations.”

What is Rafael Nadal’s Olympic record?

Nadal’s Olympic career began at the 2008 Games in Beijing and it could not have gone better for him.

He went on to defeat Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and the hard-hitting Fernando Gonzalez in the gold medal match to become champion.

After missing London 2012 due to injury, Nadal was Spain’s flag bearer at the 2016 Games in Rio, but just missed out on a singles medal following tight defeats to Juan Martin Del Potro and Kei Nishikori.

Nadal was absent from the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 as he recovered from a foot injury, and now he is set for what is likely to be his final Olympics in a place he knows so well.