Rafael Nadal revealed on social media on Thursday that he has withdrawn from Wimbledon and will not compete in the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. Naomi Osaka of Japan, a four-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 2, has also withdrawn from the Wimbledon tournament, which begins on June 28.
After a very difficult clay-court season, Nadal, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, stressed the need to recover physically.
Nadal’s Tweet
Taking to his Twitter account, Nadal penned, “It’s never an easy decision to take but after listening to my body and discuss it with my team I understand that it is the right decision.”
“The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at the maximum level of competition.”
“I want to send a special message to my fans around the world, to those in the United Kingdom and Japan in particular,” Nadal also said. “The Olympic Games always meant a lot and they were always a priority as a Sportsperson, I found the spirit that every sports person in the world wants to live. I personally had the chance to live three of them and had the honor to be the flag bearer for my country.”
Naomi eyeing Tokyo Olympics
Naomi, who has won two Australian Opens and two US Opens, has withdrew from the 2021 French Open after winning the first round earlier.
The All England Club said in a statement, “Naomi won’t be playing Wimbledon this year. She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans.”
“Naomi Osaka will be greatly missed by all of us at Wimbledon this year, but we completely understand her decision. We wish her a happy time with her friends and family and look forward to welcoming her back to Wimbledon next year.”
